Tales of Sonic the Hedgehog
by Nintendoman01
Summary: My take on the Sonic the Hedgehog mythos, with cues taken from all over the franchise. Inspired by Mixedfan8643's Sonic the Hedgehog: Heroes of Mobius.
1. Prologue: The Beginning

_**Tales of Sonic the Hedgehog**_

 _ **By Nintendoman01**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Sonic the Hedgehog_ or its associated characters; they are the property of Sega and Sonic Team. I make no profit from this story and just do it to kill time and have fun. I do, however, own all OCs unless otherwise stated.

 **Author's Note:**

This is an idea I had after reading Mixedfan8643's _Sonic the Hedgehog: Heroes of Mobius_ series and its spin-offs. I've always been a huge fan of Sonic.

Now, this fic is my own personal take on the Sonic mythos, taking a little bit of everything from each continuity; the games, Archie, SatAm, AoSTH, Underground, Sonic X, etc., with my personal twists here and there.

Constructive criticism is appreciated, but _**NO FLAMES**_. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple.

Soundtrack for this chapter:

* Dr. Robotnik's Theme (SatAM) - https www youtube com watch ?v=44dwsrArDX8

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **\- The Beginning -**

* * *

 _Welcome to the world of Mobius, a beautiful, largely peaceful planet in deep space, inhabited by both humans and creatures known as Mobians, anthropomorphic animals that come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. And several possess unique abilities._

 _One such individual is Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero of this tale. Today marks the beginning of his life of heroism..._

* * *

 **Station Square, Soumerca**

Our story begins in the city of Station Square, located on the Mobian continent of Soumerca. Station Square was one of the most heavily populated cities, and served as a central point of the United Federation, the main government of humans on Mobius.

From the train station emerged two Mobian hedgehogs. One was a teenager who was around sixteen years old. He had blue fur, green eyes, and a peach-colored muzzle, arms and belly. He wore a white shirt with a stylized yellow "S" in the center under a light blue zip-up hoodie, dark blue jeans, white gloves, and a pair of simple white hi-top sneakers with red laces.

The other was an elderly hedgehog, resembling the other enough that it was easy to tell that the two were related. His fur was a few shades lighter than the other hedgehog's, his eyes were dark brown, and he had thick white eyebrows and a matching mustache. He wore a brown coat over a green turtleneck sweater, brown khaki pants, boots and gloves, with a pair of pince-nez glasses.

"Uncle Chuck?" the teen let out, turning to the elder. "Why exactly did you drag me all the way here?"

Uncle Chuck smiled at his young nephew.

"Well, my colleagues and I have been working on a big project, Sonic, and we thought you could help us with part of it." He answered.

Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"How exactly could I help?" he asked. "I'm not a science guy."

"Oh, we have something else in mind for you," Uncle Chuck replied. "You'll see when we get to the lab."

Sonic just shrugged as they went on.

"I'll take your word for it, Unc." he declared.

They went to a building in the center of the town: the Station Square University, where Uncle Chuck had been engaged in a project with several of his colleagues for several months. They entered the building, and soon found themselves in the science lab at the back, where several human scientists were gathered. These scientists included Chuck Thorndyke, Professor Dillon Pickle, Nate Morgan, and Julian Kintobor.

Chuck Thorndyke was an elderly man in his mid-fifties with gray hair and brown eyes, dressed in a white lab coat over a dark green polo shirt, red pants, and black shoes. He was the grandfather of Chris Thorndyke, a young human boy whom Sonic had befriended a while back.

Nate Morgan was a black-skinned man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard with brown eyes. He was dressed in a red vest under a black sweater, blue trousers, and square-rimmed glasses. He was once a member of the House of Acorn, being the kingdom's Minister of Science.

Dillon Pickle was a man around Chuck's age with gray hair and large, bushy eyebrows that nearly covered his eyes. He was dressed in a brown suit with a red bowtie and white dress shirt. He was a professor at Spagonia University.

Last, but not least, was Julian Kintobor, a bald, chubby man in his late forties with a large red mustache. He was dressed in a red shirt under a white lab coat, black pants, and a pair of black pince-nez sunglasses. He once worked as the warlord for the Kingdom of Acorn, but eventually stepped down, becoming a freelance scientist.

They all looked up at Sonic and Uncle Chuck's entry.

"Ah, Sir Charles," Dillon greeted casually. "Welcome. And this must be Sonic."

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Sonic replied, smirking. "So what's this big project you need my help with?"

"Let us show you," Chuck offered, leading him to a large, dome-shaped machine in the center of the room. Sonic gasped at the sight of six different, multi-colored gems sitting within the dome.

"Whoa..." Sonic let out. "Are those? Could they be-?"

"They are, my boy." Nate confirmed. "Six of the legendary Chaos Emeralds."

Sonic was taken aback. The Chaos Emeralds were legendary treasures on Mobius, multiple different gemstones that contained near-infinite power. While their origins were unknown, they contained a powerful energy source referred to as chaos energy, and it was said that those who gathered at least seven of them would obtain ultimate power.

"So this is what you've been working on?" Sonic asked, getting a nod from his uncle.

"Yep," he answered, gesturing to the dome. "What you see here is the Retro-Orbital Chaos Compressor, or ROCC for short."

He lifted up a chest, opening it to reveal multiple golden rings.

"Power Rings?" Sonic asked.

Power Rings were special rings that were generated by Lakes of Rings, bodies of water all throughout Mobius. They possessed mystical properties and were often used as alternatives to fossil fuels, something Nate Morgan himself had suggested.

"We managed to hunt down these six emeralds and, using the Power Rings, we were able to transfer most of the planet's evil into them," Julian explained. "But we need a seventh emerald; without it, the ROCC is unstable."

"And that, sonny boy, is where you come in," Uncle Chuck concluded.

"Me?" Sonic repeated, pointing to himself. "What can I do?"

"Your uncle has told us you were born with incredible speed," Dillon recalled. "We can help you run even faster, if you agree to use your speed to help us find the seventh emerald."

At the sound of being able to run faster, Sonic's ears perked up and he smiled.

"That's great!" Then he tilted his head quizzically. "But how? If I run too fast, I'll burn through my sneakers."

He pointed to his white hi-tops, which were already beginning to wear down despite only being a week old.

"We thought ahead on that," Nate said knowingly.

He carefully knelt down behind a desk and rummaged through it, pulling up a pair of smooth red sneakers with pointed toes, white soles, a white strap over their middles, and gold buckles on the sides.

"Wow!" Sonic exclaimed. "Cool sneaks!"

"We made these using some of the Power Rings. We call them Power Sneakers," Nate explained. "They're completely friction-proof; the soles will never burn out."

Sonic's eyes lit up at that. "Way past cool!"

"Indeed," said Dillon. "And we even invented a machine to test them with... if you're willing."

Sonic smirked, snagging the sneakers.

"Let's do it to it!" he declared.

 **-X-**

A few minutes later, Sonic, now wearing the Power Sneakers, stood inside a giant, circular treadmill.

"This is the Kinetic Gyroscope," Uncle Chuck announced. "We created it specifically to test out the Power Sneakers."

"Ready when you are." Sonic said.

Julian pulled the switch. The treadmill started spinning, and Sonic started running. The others watched as he continued to pick up speed.

"Wow!" Sonic gasped in awe before grinning widely. "These sneakers are way cool!"

Before long, his speed built up, and Chuck looked to see the speedometer on the Gyroscope building up and up, and beginning to smoke. He gasped in horror.

"Sonic!" he shouted. "The Gyroscope can't take any more! You need to stop!"

But Sonic wasn't listening; he was having too much fun. He continued running, and they gasped as they saw the speedometer going up and up.

"At any second, he's going to break the sound barrier!" Dillon shouted. "And that means..."

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" Julian shouted.

They all took cover as Sonic exceeded 768 miles per hour (1) and a huge _BOOM!_ shook the entire building. When their ears stopped ringing and the smoke cleared, everyone looked up.

The Kinetic Gyroscope had been blasted to smithereens by the sonic boom, but Sonic stood there unharmed. The Power Sneakers were smoking slightly, but were completely intact. As Sonic surveyed the damage, he chuckled sheepishly and managed a single word:

"Oops."

 **-X-**

For the next few weeks, Sonic learned to hone his newfound speed, using the various loop-de-loop rock formations in such areas as the Green Hill Zone, allowing him to perform various aerial feats and stunts, among other things. Using this speed, Sonic held up to his end of the bargain and searched all over for a seventh Chaos Emerald. Despite his best efforts, he was never able to find it.

This continued on for a while, until one fateful day...

 **-X-**

Sonic was casually hanging around the lab while Uncle Chuck and the scientists did their work. Eventually, Julian stood up.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry," he announced. "How about lunch?"

Everyone agreed and Julian went over to the mini-fridge in the corner. He opened it, only to discover it was completely empty save for a single egg, which emitted a pungent aroma that had everyone holding their noses.

"Whoops," said Julian. "I must have forgotten to do the shopping again."

"Ugh!" Sonic exclaimed, trying not to retch. "That egg stinks! How long has it been in there?"

Julian pulled the egg out.

"Only about six months or so," he answered. "A little salt, and it should be fine."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that, Julian." Uncle Chuck said flatly.

Julian turned away, going to find some salt, but ended up tripping over a cord. He stumbled frantically as he tried to regain his balance... stumbling over to the ROCC.

"Julian, look out!" Nate screamed, but it was too late. Julian slammed into the ROCC's control panel, and the machine began to spark wildly as the Chaos Emeralds began to glow. Julian and the egg he held were bathed in the chaos energy, and he screamed in agony before the ROCC exploded, knocking Sonic and the others off their feet and sending the Chaos Emeralds flying.

The smoke slowly cleared, and everyone got back to their feet, coughing.

"Doc!" Sonic shouted. "Dr. Kintobor! Are you okay?!"

They frantically looked around, only to hear a maniacal laugh... coming from Julian.

"Oh, I'm better than okay, Sonic," came Julian's voice. "In fact... I've never felt better!"

The laugh continued as Julian emerged from the smoke, a completely changed man. His eyes had become black with red pupils behind his sunglasses, his lab coat was in tatters, and he had a massive, toothy grin on his face.

"J-Julian?" Dillon called out, visibly terrified at the change in his friend.

Julian looked at him and laughed evilly.

"No, Dillon," he corrected. "Julian Kintobor is no more. From this day onward, I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, future ruler of Mobius!"

Everyone gasped in horror at that reveal.

"W-what happened to him?!" Sonic demanded.

Chuck looked between Robotnik and the ruined ROCC, putting two and two together.

"The evil from the Emeralds..." he gasped. "When the ROCC exploded, Julian must have been infected by it!"

"No, not infected," Robotnik declared. "I've been freed! And soon, the world will be mine!"

Laughing insanely, Robotnik pushed past them and ran out of the university.*

"Oh, dear Aurora..." Uncle Chuck whimpered in shock. "What have we done?"

"This isn't good," Nate said. "We should get back to Mobotropolis. Let King Max know about this."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

(1): From what I've read, the speed of sound is 767.269 mph.

Most of this was taken from Robotnik's origin from Fleetway's _Sonic the Comic_.

Next chapter: Sonic's first battle with Robotnik!

As usual, I'm including mental VAs for the characters in the series; all Sonic game characters will maintain their current voice actors unless otherwise stated. Please note that these are merely my choice for VAs. You're free to "hear" them as whoever you wish:

* Uncle Chuck - R. Bruce Elliott (Richard Moore from _Case Closed_ , Xerx from _BloodRayne 2_ , Shimada Kanbei from _Samurai 7_ )

* Chuck Thorndyke - William Frederick Knight (Nurarihyon from _Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan_ , Daisuke Aramaki from _Ghost in the Shell_ , Danzō Shimura from _Naruto Shippuden_ )

* Nate Morgan - Morgan Freeman

* Dillon Pickle - Kent Williams (Father from _Fullmetal Alchemist_ , Ghira Belladonna from _RWBY_ , Supreme Kai from _Dragon Ball Z_ )

Please R&R. Until next time!


	2. The First Fight

**\- Chapter 1 -**

 **The First Fight**

* * *

 **Metropolis City, Soumerca**

By this point, Robotnik had retreated to his home in the Metropolis City Zone, another human settlement on Mobius and one of the largest cities on the planet. Said home was an old, abandoned warehouse that he, as Julian Kintobor, had converted into both a laboratory and living quarters.

The centerpiece of the lab was a supercomputer, with which he had used to gather information on the Chaos Emeralds for the purpose of the ROCC project. Also strewn about the lab were various machines and robot parts, with which Robotnik intended to build up his world conquering army.

"Soon, a new era shall begin," he said. "The glorious era of the Robotnik Empire!"

He laughed maniacally as he began his work.

* * *

Station Square, Soumerca

Sonic and the remaining scientists were about to go off to the Kingdom of Acorn to alert the royalty, but were stopped when they heard a mysterious voice.

" _Hey..._ " it called out, sounding like it was coming from a phone, " _where am I?_ "

They all froze at that, looking around until they found where the voice was coming from: one of the Power Rings scattered about the lab.

"What the..." Sonic said. "Since when did Power Rings start talking?"

"That's not just any voice," Uncle Chuck said. "That's... Julian's voice!"

"What?!" Sonic said. "But how?"

Nate thought for a minute, then an idea came to him.

"Somehow, the ROCC explosion must have burned Julian's brain patterns onto the ring." he surmised.

" _I knew something was different!_ " said the ring.

Chuck picked up the ring and inserted it into the computer nearby. He typed away on it for several minutes, and soon, a holographic image appeared above the computer; that of Dr. Julian Kintobor's head.

"Dr. Kintobor?" Sonic said, confused. "What did you do?"

"I uploaded the brainwaves on the ring onto the computer system." Chuck explained. "This is all that's left of Julian, before he turned into... whoever that was."

" _Dr. Ivo Robotnik,_ " the Kintobor Computer replied. " _My evil self. He's gone completely mad._ "

"So we noticed," Sonic said flatly.

"Sonic, you must get to Mobotropolis and warn the King." Uncle Chuck insisted. "We'll stay here, pick up the pieces."

Sonic nodded and quickly dashed off to do so.

* * *

 **Green Hill Zone, South Island**

In record time, Sonic had made it to South Island, home of Mobotropolis, the capital of the Kingdom of Acorn. South Island was a trove of gems and ancient ruins, and was rumored to possess a connection to the Chaos Emeralds; as a result, the island moved along the ocean surface. Nonetheless, it was still considered part of the Acorn Archipelago, the islands that made up the kingdom.

Sonic was currently in the Green Hill Zone, one of his favorite spots to relax. A natural mountain paradise of a Zone, Green Hill was filled with green fields and beautiful blue lakes. It featured large waterfall vistas, palm trees, rotating flowers, flora in various colors and totem poles of unknown origin. Perhaps most distinctively, the soil was checkered brown. Sonic hadn't gotten far before he was stopped by a bizarre sight. Two large robotic blue bees that were swooping down on him.

"What the-?" he let out. "What _are_ you guys?"

"We are Badniks," one of the bees declared. "Loyal servants of the great Dr. Robotnik."

"You will be taken back to the doctor's lair and become one of us!" shouted the other.

The bees aimed their stingers at Sonic, rapid-firing lasers out of them. Sonic casually jumped from side to side, dodging every laser before deciding to try out a new technique he'd been working on. Curling up into a concussive ball, Sonic revved up and sprang at the bees, hitting them with the force of a cannonball and destroying them. He landed expertly on the ground, smirking.

"Perfect," he said. "The Spin Attack works like a charm."

However, the smirk was wiped off of Sonic's face when he noticed what had emerged from the Badniks' bodies: a living Mobian pig and rabbit. Specifically, two of his friends, Porker Lewis and Johnny Lightfoot. Porker was a pink-skinned pig with blue eyes dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. Johnny was a gray-furred rabbit with matching eyes and a white muzzle who was dressed in a red leather jacket, white tank top, and blue jeans. Porker was a technical genius while Johnny was a good gymnast and stick fighter.

"Porker? Johnny?!" Sonic exclaimed in shock. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"It's not what it looks like, Sonic!" Porker said quickly. "It was that crazy Dr. Robotnik guy!"

"These crazy robots captured us so he could stuff us in those things," Johnny hastily explained. "They were using us as some kind of power source."

Sonic turned away, mulling it over.

"Crap," he muttered. "It's already started."

He turned back to Porker and Johnny.

"I don't have time to explain," he told them. "You two get to Mobotropolis and warn King Max of this."

Johnny nodded at that.

"But what are _you_ gonna do?" he asked.

"I'm gonna take care of Robotnik." Sonic said simply before dashing off.

 **-X-**

It wasn't long before he found himself surrounded by the robots Porker and Johnny had mentioned. They were a metallic dark blue, with a single red optical visor. Spikes protruded from their joints and head while metal fins occupied their forearms.

"You are under arrest in the name of Dr. Robotnik." one said. "You will come with us Swatbots or be vaporized."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Sonic said flatly.

The Swatbots all raised their arms, which opened up to reveal laser blasters. They all began firing on Sonic, who dodged left and right with his Quick Step maneuver. Finding an opening, he dashed forward with the speed of a bullet, putting his fist right through the first Swatbot's chest. The robot sparked as it fell, a gaping hole through its torso.

"So these bots aren't powered by any Mobians," Sonic remarked. "Good to know."

That meant he didn't have to hold back. Revving in place, he rocketed forward in spin-ball form, his quills outstretched as he shredded through each robot one at a time. Coming to a stop, Sonic looked over the remains of the Swatbots, clapping his hands together as if getting rid of dust.

"Well, that's just sad," he remarked. "I was hoping these would be more of a challenge."

"I'll give you one, rodent!" came a familiar voice.

Sonic looked up at the voice, and gasped to see Dr. Robotnik flying in on a gray egg-shaped hovercraft with black and yellow hazard stripes on the sides, a black circular hemispherical underside, rocket engines on the rear for propulsion and a small circular lamp on the front. Robotnik himself was dressed in a new outfit, wearing a pair of navy blue pince-nez sunglasses, gray hexagonal-shaped goggles on his bald head, a red turtleneck jacket with white trim, yellow cuffs and gold rectangular buttons, and black one-piece pants/boots with silver accents and buttons.

"Dr. Robotnik!" Sonic shouted, pointing at him.

"Yes, how observant you are." Robotnik replied. "My Badniks and Swatbots just went offline here, so I came to investigate. And who should I find but Sir Charles' nephew?"

"You have to stop this!" Sonic pleaded. "This isn't you!"

"It is now." Robotnik replied. "Julian Kintobor is dead. And with the power of my Egg Mobile, you're going to join him!"

A small opening appeared in the bottom of the Egg Mobile, and from it descended a checkerboard-patterned wrecking ball suspended by a chain. The wrecking ball spun in a circular pattern below the Egg Mobile, before Robotnik launched it at Sonic with startling speed. Sonic narrowly managed to dodge as the wrecking ball smashed the ground right below him, leaving an impact crater before retracting.

Jumping into the air, Sonic tucked into a ball, leaving a blue aura-trail in his wake as he slammed into the underside of the Egg Mobile, rocking it precariously. As Robotnik was rocked back and forth by the impact, Sonic, thinking quickly, spun through the chain with his quills extended, slicing through it before grabbing the chain.

Robotnik gasped in horror and began to back up the Egg Mobile, but Sonic, spinning the wrecking ball by the severed chain, hammer-threw the ball into the Egg Mobile, knocking it out of the air and sending it careening off a good distance before it hit the ground.

Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Robotnik gunned the thrusters of the Egg Mobile, getting it back up into the air.

"This isn't over, Sonic!" he declared. "You've won this battle, but the war has just begun!"

With that, he rocketed off, leaving Sonic standing there, his arms crossed.

"If that's the case," the heroic hedgehog declared, "I hope the next bot of his gives me a better challenge."

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

Elsewhere, Porker and Johnny had managed to make it to Mobotropolis, the capital city of the Kingdom of Acorn, located in the Royal Hills Zone, a lush, rolling green paradise adjacent to Green Hill Zone.

Running as fast as they could, the two made it to Castle Acorn, where just outside relaxed the princess of the kingdom and Sonic's childhood friend, Sally Acorn.

Sally was a pretty Mobian chipmunk with brown fur and a tan muzzle, as well as dark auburn hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue vest over a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, black shorts, blue boots with white outlines, and blue bracelets on both wrists.

"Princess Sally!" Johnny shouted, running up to her.

Sally looked up, noticing their arrival.

"Porker? Johnny?" she said, realizing something was wrong. "What's going on?"

"Something bad." Porker replied. "Sonic sent us. We need to talk to King Max right away."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

As you can see, this first arc will be an adaptation of the very first game. Sorry if it's a bit... bleh, but I had to power through quite a bit of writer's block to get this chapter out as it is.

And to my reviewer Void Reader, **_PLEASE_** stop sending reviews pestering me about updating the next chapter and all that. It's getting on my nerves. The next chapter will be ready when it's ready, and not before; I do have other fics I'm working on, you know.

For those not in the know, Porker, Johnny, and the Kintobor Computer are all taken from the British Sonic the Comic.

Next chapter, Sonic finds himself in the Marble Zone, and things start to heat up for him.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Johnny Lightfoot - Micah Solusod (Soul Eater Evans in _Soul Eater_ , Toma Kamijo in _A Certain Magical Index_ , Eriol Hiiragizawa in _Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card_ )

* Porker Lewis - Sam Riegel (Donatello in _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003_ , Teddie in _Persona 4_ , Phoenix Wright in _Ace Attorney_ )

* Princess Sally - Amanda Winn-Lee (Yukiko Amagi in _Persona 4_ , Heather Mason in _Silent Hill 3 HD_ , Rei Ayanami in _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ )

Please R&R. Until next time!


	3. Mayhem in the Marble Zone

**\- Chapter 2 -**

 **Mayhem in the Marble Zone**

* * *

 **Scrap Brain Zone, South Island**

After his battle with Sonic in the Green Hill Zone, Robotnik had retreated to the Scrap Brain Zone, an old industrial city that had been a home to humans prior to the Great War (1). After the Kingdom of Acorn had won the war, they were forced to evacuate the Scrap Brain Zone, which was quarantined as a result of its heavy pollution and remained abandoned for years. That is, until Robotnik came along and decided to make it a base of operations. He had taken up residence in an old robotics factory, which served him well in Badnik production.

"It seems Charles' nephew will prove quite a thorn in my side." he mused, stroking his mustache. "I'll have to rectify that posthaste."

He approached an old computer, through which he programmed his Badniks and Swatbots, and typed away for several minutes.

On the screen appeared a picture of Sonic, along with the words "Priority One" flashing on-screen.

* * *

 **Marble Zone, South Island**

After departing Green Hill, Sonic found himself in the Marble Zone, an ancient underground complex. The area was decorated with old marble ruins, along with columns and statues, all of which were overgrown with grass. He'd barely made it a few steps before another robot burst out of the ground, charging for him. He quickly ducked out of the way of the robot's gnashing metal jaws, and got a good look at it. The robot was a large purple caterpillar with a four-segmented body, covered in yellow spikes with two yellow antennae.

"Well, I'm on the right track, from the looks of it." Sonic said aloud as the Caterkiller turned its glare on him.

"Hedgehog." It rasped. "Priority One."

"Priority One?" Sonic repeated. "Looks like I left an impression on Robuttnik."

The Caterkiller lunged at him again, but Sonic quickly darted out of the way as it slammed into the ground. Before it could get back up, Sonic charged forward and jumped straight ahead, outstretching both of his feet and slamming them full force into the Caterkiller's head, bashing a dent into it.

The robot began sparking before it exploded, freeing its captive: a small, rotund blue bird with sky blue plumage, orange three-toed feet, and a matching beak. Sonic immediately recognized it as a Flicky. The Flicky flew over to Sonic, chirping frantically as he looked it over. While he didn't speak their language, Sonic had a good idea what it was saying.

"Don't worry." he assured, patting the little bird's head. "I'll save the other animals Robotnik's trapped."

The Flicky let out a grateful chirp before flitting away. With that, Sonic jogged ahead to a ruin nearby, looking within. It was pitch-black inside, but suddenly, multiple eyes appeared from the darkness.

"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed, recoiling as multiple robots flew out.

They were mechanical bats with blue bean-like bodies, metallic wings, small pointy ears, and rocket engines on their rears.

"Hedgehog. Priority One." the Bat Brains all chittered, flying at Sonic. "Hedgehog. Priority One."

"Wow." Sonic said flatly. "I feel so popular right now."

As the Bat Brains flew around him, Sonic jumped into the air, tucking into a ball as he did and ramming into all of the Bat Brains one by one, destroying them and freeing the captive animals within, who all happily thanked Sonic before fleeing.

"Damn it..." Sonic muttered to himself as he continued on. "How many animals has he changed already?"

He didn't get much farther before the ground began to shake.

" _That can't be good._ " Sonic thought to himself before the ground split open, revealing a magma deposit.

"Definitely not good!" Sonic shouted aloud.

He took off at breakneck speed, doing his best to stay ahead of the lava before diving into a nearby cave. Panting and wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked back, seeing the ground split open and lava flowing.

"Guess I'm not goin' back that way." he remarked, before turning back to the cave. "Might as well head deeper in."

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

Sally quickly led Porker and Johnny into the throne room, where her parents, King Maximillian "Max" Acorn and Queen Alicia Acorn.

Max was an older Mobian squirrel, sharing coloration with his daughter, along with a smooth, short auburn mustache. He wore a golden crown, along with a blue-colored uniform trimmed with red at the collar, sleeves, and bottom, with a red belt with an acorn-shaped buckle and gold epaulets, white gloves, and blue boots with buckles on the feet and red cuffs on top.

Alicia was a chipmunk like Sally, and basically resembled an older version of her daughter, except for longer red hair tied back with a gold hair tie. She wore an orange dress accented with gold jewelry, and a golden tiara.

"Sally?" Max demanded, looking at Porker and Johnny. "What is the meaning of this?"

Porker and Johnny bowed respectfully to the King before getting to business.

"Sir, there's big trouble going down on South Island," Porker Lewis began. "Some crazy guy named Dr. Robotnik is going around attacking people with robots... and Sonic's trying to stop him."

"Sonic?" Alicia asked. "Sir Charles' nephew?"

"Yeah," Johnny told her. "It's a long story."

* * *

 **Marble Zone, South Island**

Sonic slowly ventured down into the caves, eyes open and alert for any sign of danger. He didn't get much farther before he heard heavy metallic footsteps.

"Oh, great." he muttered. "Now what?"

His answer came when three humanoid robots emerged from the shadows. While built similarly to Swatbots, they couldn't be any more different, with red armor, bucket-like helmets and grey, skeletal faces. Emblazoned on their chests was a stylized image of Dr. Robotnik's grinning face, clearly a logo.

"Wow." Sonic deadpanned at the sight of the logo. "Robuttnik sure is full of himself."

"Hedgehog, Priority One." the Troopers all intoned, pointing blasters at him.

"Yeah, yeah." Sonic retorted.

They immediately began firing on him, but Sonic rapidly dodged, dashing forward in a Spin Attack and shredding clean through one. Another swung its fist at him, landing a glancing blow on his shoulder before Sonic jumped into the air, rebounding off his head before performing a somersault and coming down with a powerful axe kick, splitting the Trooper's head clean in half. It sparked for several seconds before collapsing.

"Oh, yeah!" he cheered. "I am the best!"

As he was gloating, the final Trooper aimed its blaster at him, preparing to shoot him in the back. Just before it pulled the trigger, Sonic's quills shuddered for a minute, and he immediately turned and dashed forward, putting his fist clean through the Trooper's chest.

"H-how?" the Trooper demanded.

"Oh, just a little trick of mine." Sonic replied.

He pulled his fist out and allowing the sparking Trooper to fall back. As it did, it chuckled.

"You really think anything you do with matter?" it asked. "You only delay the inevitable. Long live... the Robotnik Empire..."

With one last evil laugh, the Trooper fell back, shutting down. Sonic looked over the fallen robots, noticing something.

"Just like the Swatbots." he remarked. "No Mobian batteries."

At that, he made his way further down the caves, dodging various lava pits and spikes, before eventually finding himself outside, standing before a massive lava pit with a few rocky platforms scattered about.

"It's true what they say..."

Sonic turned toward the voice, seeing Robotnik flying in on the Egg Mobile, now equipped with what appeared to be a gun barrel on the underside.

"If you want something done right," the good doctor grumbled, "you have to do it yourself."

The barrel aimed at Sonic, and shot a fireball right at the blue hedgehog. Sonic quickly jumped back in time to avoid it, and leapt onto one of the platforms, looking up at his foe.

"Julian, stop!" he pleaded. "Think of the man you were! The warlord who helped the Kingdom of Acorn win the Great War! The man who wanted the best for Mobius!"

"How stupid are you, hedgehog?" Robotnik snapped. "The name 'Julian Kintobor' no longer has _any_ meaning to me!"

With that, he aimed at Sonic once more, firing another fireball which Sonic managed to dodge, jumping to another platform.

"I am Ivo Robotnik!" the doctor continued. "And Mobius will be mine!"

Sonic looked down, solemnly acknowledging Robotnik's words.

"So that's how it is..." he muttered, before clenching his fists and looking up at him.

"Fine!" Sonic declared. "Then you're going down!"

Robotnik laughed at that and launched another fireball at him, but Sonic jumped over it and sprang at Robotnik, a blue-colored trail left in his wake, as he slammed into the bottom of the Egg Mobile. The vehicle rocked precariously for several seconds, but Robotnik kept his grip on the vehicle, steadying it.

"Miserable rodent!" he shouted. "I'll burn you to ash!"

An intense fight followed, Robotnik firing on Sonic, who alternated between attacking the vehicle and jumping to different platforms on the lava pit. Eventually, however, Sonic found himself cornered in the midst of the final unburned platform.

"Crap!" Sonic yelled, seeing he had nowhere else to go.

"'Crap' indeed." Robotnik said with a maniacal grin. "Game over, rodent."

The flamethrower aimed right at Sonic, who closed his eyes and knelt down as the fire engulfed him. Seeing his new nemesis seemingly burned alive, Robotnik let out an evil laugh, glancing at the remains of the platform-

-only for his jaw to drop at the sight of Sonic, perfectly alright, and surrounded by a blue energy field that protected him from the flames.

"What?!" Robotnik shouted. "How are you still-?!"

"Oh, just something I read about from some of my uncle's science lectures." Sonic said, standing up. "I vibrated the air molecules around my body at super speed to make a force field. I call it the Insta-Shield."

He glared at the mad doctor.

"And I call this... the Spin Dash!" he shouted.

With that, he curled up into a ball, revving in place before slamming into the Egg Mobile, sending it careening away to slam into the ground on the other end of the lava pit, and Sonic landing next to it.

"Had enough, Doc?" Sonic asked.

Robotnik pressed several buttons on the damaged Egg Mobile, getting it back up as he glared at Sonic.

"It's not over yet, hedgehog." he vowed. "Once my master plan is in effect, I'll have you begging for mercy!"

Having made that declaration, Robotnik flew away laughing.

"Master plan?" Sonic muttered. "Don't like the sound of that."

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

Max, Alicia, and Sally all sat and listened as Porker and Johnny told them of what happened to them at the Green Hill Zone, and Sonic's ongoing fight.

"This is... truly disconcerting." Max said aloud. "And Charles' nephew is going after him?"

"Yeah." Porker replied. "He's probably made it to the Spring Yard Zone by now."

"He seems to be doing pretty well so far." Johnny added. "I think he can handle it."

"Be that as it may, we better prepare a second front." Alicia insisted. "Sonic is just a child, and for all we know, Robotnik has an army at his beck and call."

Max stood up at that.

"Indeed." he declared. "Call General Armand, and rally the troops."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Again, sorry if this chapter's a bit short and the fight's a little... bleh, but I'm still powering through writer's block on this, and fight scenes aren't my specialty. That, and there aren't really any storylines/cutscenes in the first Sonic's levels to go on, and the first game is what I'm adapting for the initial arc.

King Max here uses his name from Archie's pre-Super Genesis Wave comics, but his personality design from his post-Super Genesis Wave self, Nigel. I just like Nigel Acorn better; he's more reasonable and not a grumpy, senile d-bag. As for who this General Armand is, Archie readers may recognize him as the father of Antoine D'Coolette.

The Trooper Badniks, the ones with the Swatbots that have the Eggman Empire logo on their chests, are from Fleetway's Sonic the Comic; they and the Swatbots serve as my Robotnik's primary enforcers/ground troops.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Max - Robin Atkin Downes (Yasha from _Asura's Wrath_ , Conrad Roth from _Tomb Raider_ , Kazuhira Miller from _Metal Gear_ )

* Alicia - Dorothy Elias-Fahn (Kyouko Yuuki from _Sword Art Online_ , Kaoru Kamiya from _Rurouni Kenshin_ , Meryl Strife from _Trigun_ )

Next chapter: Sonic finds more trouble at the Spring Yard Zone.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	4. Spring Yard Shenanigans

**\- Chapter 3 -**

 **Spring Yard Shenanigans**

* * *

 **Spring Yard Zone, South Island**

After exiting the Marble Zone, Sonic found himself overlooking the Spring Yard Zone. Once a sprawling metropolis dedicated to the leisure industry, such as casinos and pinball machines, the area had been largely abandoned after the creation of more advanced and reputable tourist attractions, such as the Casino Night Club on Westside Island, or Casinopolis in Station Square. However, Sonic was surprised to see that fireworks were being shot into the sky, exploding over what should have been abandoned ruins.

"What the heck?" Sonic muttered to himself. "There's no way this place should be up and running. It's been closed for years."

He immediately ran in to investigate, stopping short at what he saw. The Spring Yard Zone was active and thumping. Neon lights filled the area as he saw such things as active roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and several other rides. Sonic's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Okay, something's definitely wrong here." Sonic muttered to himself. "I better get to the bottom of this."

 **-X-**

In an office right in the center of the Zone lurked a trio of humans talking to Dr. Robotnik on a computer screen. These were the Marxio Brothers, Grouchio, Chicio, and Harpio, a trio of electricians and businessmen who had entered a deal of business with him. All three were short, middle-aged men with different appearances.

Grouchio, the oldest brother, had dark brown curly hair, and a mustache shaped like two hearts coming out of his nose. He wore red overalls with a yellow shirt underneath and brown shoes, and a white bowtie with pink polka dots. Chicio, the middle child, had a short black mustache and black hair hidden under his red cap, which he wore backwards, as well as blue overalls, a white shirt, and brown shoes. And Harpio, the youngest, had curly orange hair and a lazy expression constantly on his face, complete with green overalls with a blue shirt and brown shoes.

"I understand, Doc." Grouchio assured, his voice carrying a thick Italian accent. "I mean, do we look like idiots?"

" _You don't really want me to answer that question, do you?_ " Robotnik said sarcastically, before getting back on topic. " _Sonic has most likely made it through the Marble Zone by now. He'll be in Spring Yard any minute. You owe me for giving you the resources to kick-start this place again, so make sure that blue spikeball doesn't make it out of the city alive. Fail, and I'll subject all three of you to my all-inclusive Robotomy Treatment._ "

All three Marxios recoiled, gasping in horror.

"Mama-mia!" Chicio cried out. "Anything but that!"

"Nobody could be that cruel!" Grouchio exclaimed.

Harpio said nothing, but merely held up a horn and honked it twice.

" _You'd be surprised what I'm capable of._ " Robotnik said simply. " _Take Sonic out and everything will be just fine. In the meantime, I have something else to take care of._ "

With that, he ended the communication, the screen going black. Harpio looked at a security monitor off to the side and his jaw dropped at the sight of Sonic on the screen. He rapidly tooted his horn, getting his brothers' attention.

"Look, big bro!" Chicio cried out, pointing at the screen. "Robotnik was right about that hedgehog! He's already there!"

"So do something about it!" Grouchio snapped. "Push a button or something!"

"Sure, boss!" Chicio agreed. "I'll push this one!"

He slammed his fist on a big red button off to the side.

 **-X-**

As Sonic hurried through the Zone, passing multiple fast-food stands, he stopped short at the sound of familiar metallic whirring. He whirled around, seeing several Swatbots and Troopers emerge from beneath the roller coaster tracks, all brandishing their rayguns at him.

"Hedgehog, Priority One." they recited.

"Of course." Sonic said aloud. "Robotnik's involved with this!"

The robots began rapidly firing on Sonic, who dodged around left and right, before tucking into a ball and bouncing off several of their heads. However, even more showed up, crowding around him and holding him at gunpoint.

"Don't move, hedgehog!" one Trooper shouted. "Move one muscle and we blow the spines off your hide."

Sonic raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"Why would you want me to stay here?" he questioned before thinking for a moment. "Unless I'm walking into-"

On cue, a trap door opened up beneath his feet, dropping him down a dark chute.

"-A trap!" he screamed as he fell.

The Swatbots and Troopers lowered their blasters.

"You interfered with the doctor, hedgehog." one Swatbot mused with a hint of amusement. "The penalty is death... by pinball."

 **-X-**

Sonic landed in a small circular pit on his feet. He slowly got to his feet, and looked up.

"Was that it?" he pondered before snorting and shaking his head. "Weak."

As soon as he said that, the ground suddenly began to sink. Before he could do more than register the fact, the floor shot up, propelling him into the air with great force. Sonic let out a yell as he was thrown about, looking down to find several star-adorned red bumpers and flippers; they had dropped him into a giant pinball table.

On instinct, the hedgehog tucked into a ball, bouncing and ricocheting off the bumpers. After bouncing around for a while, he sprang off one of flippers, landing safely on the ground. He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, and found himself standing on a walkway composed of brown blocks.

"Well, that was hectic." he muttered. "But at least it's over."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that!"

Sonic immediately whirled around, seeing the Marxio Bros. standing there. He blinked in surprise, looking them up and down.

"Uh..." he began, "who are you supposed to be?"

"We're the-a Marxio Bros.!" Grouchio declared. "Grouchio, Chicio, and Harpio!"

Harpio tooted his horn once and Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Ooo-kay." he let out. "So, what exactly do you want from me?"

"We're getting paid a pretty penny by Dr. Robotnik to fix this place up." Chicio informed him. "Which includes-a taking you out!"

"Say what?!" Sonic shouted, glaring at them. "You morons! Robotnik's trying to take over the world, and you're _helping_ him?!"

"It's just business." Grouchio replied. "Nothing personal. Now let's see how you handle _this_!"

A loud, metallic buzzing reached Sonic's ears and he whirled around, seeing a massive Buzz Bomber flying overhead. It had a black head with four red eyes, a small mouth, a pair of orange spikes on its forehead for horns, and a white collar around its neck. It also had an orange thorax with six orange and black legs with red claws, an orange and black-striped abdomen with four engines attached to it, and a massive black stinger. On its back were two pairs of yellow insect wings.

"Oh, crap..." Sonic muttered, just as the Buzz Bomber jutted out its stinger and descended at him at high speed.

He quickly darted out of the way as the Badnik's stinger jabbed into the block where he was standing mere seconds before. It rapidly flapped its wings and pulled up the block, smashing it.

"Meet the Death Queen, hedgehog!" Grouchio gloated. "The queen of the good doctor's Buzz Bombers!"

"You'll meet a slow and painful demise at her stinger!" Chicio added.

The Death Queen placed its gaze on Sonic again before trying to dive-bomb him, zipping around and plowing through the ground with its stinger, shredding through it and narrowly missing Sonic each time. After a bit, it fired numerous laser shots from all six of its legs, forcing Sonic on the defensive once again. Eventually, one hit him in the left shoulder, knocking him back.

Hissing in pain, Sonic's hand went to his shoulder, wincing as the Death Queen hovered overhead. He clenched his free hand before tucking into a ball and charging at the Queen, ramming into its chin before bouncing off and landing a rapid barrage of Spin Attacks, shredding through its wings and dropping it to the ground. With that, Sonic jumped up, planting both feet on its head before jumping up, curling up, and shooting down at high speed, plowing into the Queen's head and smashing it to pieces.

After a minute to catch his breath, he stopped, looking around to see the Marxios crowding around him, all three brandishing random objects like pipes and wrenches. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Guys, I just tore apart a massive bee-bot by myself." he reminded them. "And you're just three electricians with pieces of rusty pipe. If you attack me... what exactly do you think is gonna happen?"

The Marxios soon lost their bravado. With a single glance at Sonic and each other, they dropped their weapons and ran away.

"Thought so." Sonic said with a smirk.

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

Within Castle Acorn, King Max was talking to General Armand D'Coolette, his top general. Armand was an elderly Mobian coyote with graying blonde hair, a matching beard, and blue eyes. He wore the standard uniform of the Royal Army, a blue jacket with red trim, gold pads on the shoulders, blue-and-red pants, and red boots. He listened patiently as Max and Alicia outlined the situation.

" _Mon dieu..._ " he said at last, almost in disbelief. "Is it true? Julian is-"

"I'm afraid it is, Armand." Max confirmed. "Julian has turned evil. He's begun a sinister plot to conquer our planet, starting with South Island."

"Sir Charles' nephew is on the island at the moment, doing his best to intervene." Alicia added. "But we must be prepared."

Before they could say anything else, they heard the sound of a massive jet engine, and the sound of a commotion outside. They hurried out, gaping to see a massive station-like aircraft flying overhead. It was mainly gray in coloration, with a hemispherical construction. The front of the ship resembled the face of Robotnik himself, possessing a long and pointy rocket booster in the middle that resembled Robotnik's nose, a massive round and red window on each side of the rocket booster that looked like Robotnik's glasses, red hatches below the rocket booster that were shaped like a smiling mouth, and a three triangular panels on each side that together resembled Robotnik's mustache. On the back of the ship were also several antennas.

"What in the world?!" Max exclaimed as the ship flew overhead, headed for the castle.

Eventually, it landed before the castle, the "mouth" opening up and unveiling a ramp. After a minute, Robotnik himself came out, holding his arms behind his back.

"Hello, old friend." he greeted Max casually. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Julian..." Max managed, looking him up and down. "I heard the news, but to see it with my own eyes..."

"The name is no longer Julian, Your Majesty." Robotnik told him. "I... am Robotnik."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Can I just say what a pain in the ass it is to adapt the levels from the first game into a narrative form? That's part of the reason these chapters have been taking so long, and why they keep ending up as short as they are. And once again, Void Reader, please stop bugging me to update the next chapter; I have other fics I'm working on, as I said before, and you doing so is literally doing nothing but annoying me and making me _not_ want to get it done faster.

Anyway, the Death Queen was taken from _Sonic Forces_ , while the Marxio Brothers are taken from Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, a parody of both the Mario Bros. and Marx Brothers. Their running the Spring Yard Zone and whatnot is what they do in the comic as well; they ran both the Casino Night Zone and Carnival Night Zone as well.

And it looks like the Acorns are in trouble! What's gonna happen? You'll have to wait till next chapter to find out.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Armand - John Cleese (Several characters in _Monty Python_ , Nearly Headless Nick from the _Harry Potter_ movies, King Harold in _Shrek 2_ onward)

* Grouchio & Chicio - Charles Martinet (Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and Toadsworth from _Super Mario_ , Orvus from _Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time_, Paarthurnax from _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_ ; Grouchio uses his Wario voice, and Chicio his Waluigi voice)

Next chapter: Sonic arrives in the Mystic Jungle, and gets his biggest fight yet.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	5. Rumble in the Mystic Jungle

**\- Chapter 4 -**

 **Rumble in the Mystic Jungle**

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

Robotnik was soon flanked by Swatbots as he faced Max and Alicia down, a smirk on his face.

"Why are you here, Julian?" Max demanded.

"First off, address me as Dr. Robotnik." Robotnik said sharply. "Second, I seek your kingdom's resources to find one thing: the Chaos Emeralds."

"Chaos Emeralds?" Alicia questioned. "But they-"

"Were scattered to the winds when the ROCC exploded." Robotnik cut in. "They're somewhere around here, I know it. And you're going to help me find them."

"And what makes you think we'll go along with this?" Max shot back.

Robotnik snapped his fingers, and the Swatbots powered up their blasters as they aimed at them.

"If you don't, I kill your wife, and your daughter." the evil scientist informed him. "So... do we have a deal?"

Max was genuinely conflicted for several minutes, before he gave in.

"Fine. You win." he grumbled.

Robotnik gave a massive, toothy grin at that. "Excellent."

* * *

 **Mystic Jungle**

As Sonic left the Spring Yard Zone behind, he soon found himself in the Mystic Jungle, a blocky mountain landscape with layered soil similar to Green Hill. The region was covered in lush tropical trees with round tree crowns, grass and fern-like bushes, and there were both rushing rivers and calm lakes that ran between the mountains. Scattered among the trees were ancient ruins with glowing yellow runes/murals, most of which were overgrown with plants.

Sonic stood there, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of nature around him, only for the sounds to be cut off by a loud explosion. His eyes snapped open, and he hurried off through the jungle in the direction of the blast, stopping short and hiding behind a tree as he spotted several robots amongst numerous holes in the ground. Several of the robots were small living bombs with legs, and these particular robots retracted their legs before flashing and exploding, blasting open more holes, while a unique Trooper with golden armor and a Swatbot with Army Green camouflage coloring watched over their progress. The Swatbot turned to the Trooper.

"Brutus, perhaps we should move on." it said. "We've been at this spot for hours now."

"Perhaps you're right, Arsenal." Brutus admitted. "It's clear the Chaos Emeralds aren't here."

Sonic's jaw dropped at the mention of the emeralds, taking a step back.

 _Chaos Emeralds?_ he thought. _No way I can let Robotnik get those!_

He'd heard enough to know he had to do something about this, and fast. With that, he casually stepped out behind the tree.

"What?" he asked, getting the Badniks' attention. "You're having a party and I wasn't invited?"

Brutus and Arsenal both whirled on him at that, scowling.

"The hedgehog." Brutus snarled. "What brings you here?"

"Just passing through." Sonic replied casually. "Then I heard you're looking for the Chaos Emeralds. Can't really let you get them, can I?"

Arsenal scoffed before raising his hand, two metal blades popping out of his arms. Sonic just yawned out of boredom.

"Please." he mocked. "I've been busting up bots all day. What makes you think you have a chance?"

"Because we are of the Special Badnik Service." Brutus replied, manifesting a raygun from his right hand. "We are Dr. Robotnik's elite, and you've never faced anything like us."

"If you say so." Sonic said flippantly.

Brutus scowled before rapid firing lasers, which Sonic dodged left and right to avoid. He charged forward at full speed before throwing himself into a flying kick, slamming both feet into Brutus' chest. The Badnik barely flinched, before sending Sonic flying with a flick of the wrist. The hedgehog slammed into a tree with his back before sliding down, shaking his head to clear it.

"I meant what I said, hedgehog." Brutus gloated. "I'm a whole different game from the other Badniks! I'm too tough for you to handle!"

Sonic wiped his chin before getting up.

"Even the strongest metal has some chinks in it." he retorted. "I'll find a way!"

Arsenal scoffed, scraping his blades together menacingly. "Why don't we test that theory?"

With that, he swung at Sonic, forcing him to leap to the side before lashing out with a Spin Attack that had little effect.

"What are you two made of?" he demanded.

"Funny you should ask." Brutus replied. "Ever hear of Megatal?"

"Should I have?" Sonic questioned.

"It's the strongest metal on Mobius." Arsenal boasted. "Super strong and indestructible. In simpler terms, of course, this means 'you can't win.'"

Undaunted, Sonic cracked his neck. "I'll just have to try harder."

He revved up a Spin Dash before darting right at Arsenal, his spines grinding harder and harder on the armor. Arsenal just stood there, bored, as Sonic kept attacking, and with him distracted, Brutus leveled his raygun at him.

"If you were stronger or more clever, then maybe you'd remember to watch your back." he said condescendingly.

He fired at that, but Sonic was more observant than he realized and darted out of the way just in time for Arsenal to take the blast in his stead.

"And if you were smarter, you'd watch your aim." he retorted.

"You idiot!" Arsenal snapped. "Who's side are you on?!"

"Maybe you should've ducked!" Brutus shot back.

The two robots bickered for a while, Sonic standing there awkwardly before he got bored.

"Hello?" he cut in. "We're still fighting. You gonna wrap this up, or do I have time for a nap?"

Brutus just shot at Sonic again, prompting him to speed out of the way. The hedgehog's dodging game continued for a while, and eventually, Arsenal lost his patience.

"Enough of these stupid games!" he shouted, a rectangular missile launcher emerging from his shoulder. "Eat _THIS_!"

With that, he fired a slew of missiles into the air, all of them locking onto Sonic. Sonic thought fast, spin jumping towards the missiles and knocking them back. The missiles returned to Arsenal, each one cracking his armor and knocking him back. With that, Sonic turned to Brutus.

"You still don't realize how outmatched you are?" Brutus scoffed.

"Oh, I know how tough you are, buddy." Sonic assured. "So it's time for the less direct approach!"

He began running around Brutus at high speed, whipping up a tornado as he went. Eventually, Sonic grabbed onto Brutus' cape and gave a strong yank, the momentum sending Brutus spinning through several trees.

"To quote a movie I saw when I was little: NO CAPES." he taunted.

Brutus tore through the underbrush and slammed into a wall, which partially collapsed on impact. Behind it, something shiny caught Sonic's eye.

"What the…" he let out before going over and breaking away the rest of the wall. Sonic's jaw nearly became unhinged at the sight of a giant floating ring, previously hidden to the world.

"A giant Power Ring?" he mused. "Just when I thought I'd seen it all."

Suddenly, a fist hit him in the back of the head. Sonic dropped, and Arsenal picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

"That's why you don't drop your guard in the middle of a battle, kid." he boasted before throwing him at the ring, causing him to mysteriously disappear. After a minute of surprise, he shrugged.

"Oh well." he remarked. "He's gone."

At that, Brutus pulled himself out of the rubble, looking around.

"Where is Sonic?" he demanded.

"Threw him in there." Arsenal replied flippantly. "He vanished."

"And why are you just standing there and not following him?" Brutus questioned.

Arsenal turned to him, blinking in surprise.

"Hey, that ring sent him far away from here." he pointed out. "I think we can safely assume that-"

"We can assume _nothing_." Brutus cut him off sharply. "Dr. Robotnik wants him dead, and we can ill afford to make mistakes. One way or another, we're bringing him Sonic's body."

He pointed at the ring. "Now get in there."

"Fat chance." Arsenal scoffed. "You wanna go after a dead hedgehog, be my guest."

Brutus sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I don't think you understand the situation, Arsenal." he began. "Let me be clear."

He got in his partner's face. "I outrank you, and report directly to the doctor. I can decide your fate with a single word. So either follow Sonic and ensure his demise... or I inform Dr. Robotnik of your negligence and have you sent to the scrap heap."

Arsenal gritted his teeth.

"Fine…" he spat. "But I'm taking full credit for it."

With that, he jumped into the ring, disappearing as well, and leaving Brutus alone.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Another one bites the dust. And to clarify, I've merged the Jungle Zone from the Game Gear version of the first game with the Mystic Jungle from Sonic Forces.

Brutus is from the Fleetway Sonic the Comic, while Arsenal is my own OC.

And to my reviewer Void Reader; I'm done with this. I've asked you repeatedly to stop pestering me about updating faster and posting multiple reviews about it. I am _not_ a goddamn robot, and I have other projects I'm working on. From here on out, every time you post a review pestering me to update faster, I will delete it without hesitation, and if I knew how, I'd block you from posting reviews completely.

Now that that's over, here's the voice cast for this chapter:

* Brutus - Kevin Michael Richardson (Principal Lewis from _American Dad!_ , Shredder from _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012_ , Gantu from _Lilo & Stitch_)

* Arsenal - Steve Blum (Spike Spiegel from _Cowboy Bebop_ , Starscream from _Transformers: Prime_ , Wolverine from several _X-Men_ games and cartoons)

Next chapter: we find out what happened to Sonic.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	6. Challenge of Chaos

**\- Chapter 5 -**

 **Challenge of Chaos**

* * *

Soundtrack for this chapter:

* HIS WORLD (Instrumental) - _Super Smash Bros. Brawl_ :  watch?v=d2tdSiQAF20

* * *

Sonic became aware of his condition gradually as his consciousness returned. After a minute, he opened his eyes, rubbing his head.

"Ugh…" he groaned. "I'm gonna feel that in the morning."

That was when he looked around and took in his surroundings. He was on a large planet with a green checkerboard design. He looked up, seeing the sky was a surreal mess, containing large checkered cubes, strange tangles of geometric shapes, and what even looked like designs of fish and birds.

"Well, this is new." he remarked. "Where the heck am I?"

He got up, dusting himself off before running ahead and looking around. As he took in his surroundings, he found himself more and more weirded out.

"Okay, that bot must have hit me harder than I thought." he muttered. "Either that, or I gotta stop eating chili dogs before I go to bed."

Before long, he came across what looked like a floating TV screen, sitting in the middle of nowhere. Confused, he leaned forward, looking at the screen closely, when suddenly a face formed out of it. Sonic gave a yell before falling back on his butt in surprise.

"Welcome, Sonic," the TV greeted.

After registering the fact that a TV was talking to him, Sonic shook off his surprise and stood up.

"Who the heck are you?" he demanded.

"I am the Omnipotent Omni-Viewer." the TV replied. "But you can call me Omni."

Sonic shrugged, deciding not to question it.

"Okay then, Omni." he began. "You mind telling me where exactly I am?"

"You are in the Special Zone."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "And what's so special about it?"

"Well, for one, it has housed various forms of your Chaos Emeralds since time immemorial." Omni said matter-of-factly.

That got Sonic's attention. "Chaos Emeralds?"

"Yes." Omni confirmed. "I'm well aware of what's currently happening to your planet."

His face faded away, showing instead an image of the lab explosion that turned Julian Kintobor into Dr. Robotnik.

"When the ROCC device your uncle had helped develop exploded, the Emeralds used in it were warped back into this world." Omni went on. "Even now, they remain scattered."

Sonic nodded quickly, latching onto those words. "Those Emeralds could help me stop Robotnik. Can you show me where they are?"

"Sadly, it's not as simple as that." said Omni. "Once the Chaos Emeralds have returned to the Special Zone, they are tucked away in specific locations. Only those who prove themselves worthy may gain them."

"I'm up for it." Sonic straightened up, pointing at himself with his thumb. "What do I have to do?"

Omni's screen changed once more, this new image consisting of a floating cube-like structure with three different entrances.

"The first Emerald lies in the center of the Cuboid Maze. The forces of Chaos itself turn and rotate it at their whim. To earn your prize, you must reach the center of the maze within two minutes' time."

Sonic scoffed. "You call that a challenge? Just point me in the direction of the maze, and I'll be in and out in a sec."

"May the Ancient Walkers be kind, then." Omni declared. "To be transported to the Maze, simply jump into my screen."

Sonic immediately jumped into the screen.

 **-X-**

One indescribable experience later, Sonic found himself in the Maze. The interior of the structure consisted of square blocks flashing different colors, and the walls were constantly rotating, sometimes revealing entryways to further in, while others consisted of death traps like spikes.

"Well… this complicates things a bit," Sonic mused, stretching his legs out. "But an adventure's no fun if it's too easy."

He began rushing through the maze. It was tough slaying, and he repeatedly found himself bounced around by star-adorned bumpers and reaching dead ends. Eventually, he reached the center of the maze, and barely stopped in time to avoid falling into a pit of spikes.

"Yikes!" he pulled back as he let out a sigh of relief. "That was close."

Once he got his bearings, he looked up to see the green Chaos Emerald, surrounded by a shield of multicolored diamonds. He jumped up, using a Spin Dash to slowly but surely carve a path through the diamonds. Once he finally cut through, he made a grab for the Emerald. The minute his hand touched it, he was suddenly surrounded by light…

 **-X-**

When the light faded, Sonic found himself standing before Omni once again.

"Congratulations," Omni said with a smile. "You got a Chaos Emerald."

"Thanks," Sonic replied, tossing the Emerald up before pocketing it. "Hope the other six are this easy."

"I'm afraid not. You'll find that each successive challenge for the Emeralds will be more difficult than the last."

"Good, I'd hate for this to get boring." Sonic remarked. "What's up next?"

That was when he heard the sound of a blade drawing.

"Turn around, hedgehog," came a familiar voice. "Slowly, like your spiny ass depended on it."

Sonic sighed before obliging, turning to see Arsenal, his arm-blade extended.

"You again?" the hedgehog asked. "Didn't I kick your butt already?"

"I would've been perfectly content leaving you to rot here after throwing you in the giant ring," Arsenal shot back. "But Brutus just had to insist I make sure you were dead."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Hey, you wanna go 0 for 2, more power to ya. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"You just got lucky, hedgehog," Arsenal spat. "But I might be persuaded to let bygones be bygones... if you hand over the Chaos Emerald you just got."

"So you can hand it over to Robotnik and let him do who knows what with it?" Sonic shook his head. "No thanks."

"Fine." Arsenal drew his other blade. "But when I chop you up into little pieces, remember: you brought it upon yourself."

"Bring it on!"

With that, he darted toward Arsenal, dodging his blades and kicking him in the back. Arsenal stumbled forward, but was largely unfazed.

"How stupid are you?" he demanded. "I'm made of Megatal, remember? You can't hurt me, Sonic!"

Undaunted, Sonic launched at Arsenal with a Spin Dash, only for his attack to have no effect.

"I don't care how tough you are!" Sonic spat, continuing his assault. "My dad and Uncle Chuck fought in the Great War. They taught me never to give up, and to stand up for what's right no matter what!"

"Like I give a Flicky's tail." Arsenal shot back. "Nothing you say can change the fact that you don't stand a chance!"

Sonic ran at him again, only for Arsenal to grab him by the throat and lift him up.

"Last chance," the evil robot said. "Give me the Emerald."

Sonic scowled, glaring at him defiantly. "Bite my spiny blue butt, Chrome Dome!"

Arsenal let out a furious yell before tossing Sonic to the ground. He rebounded twice before landing with a groan.

"You know what?! Fine! If you're so intent on hurrying to your grave, I'm more than happy to show you the way!" He loomed over Sonic, blades at the ready. "I'll pry that damn Emerald from your cold, dead hands!"

*As he raised his blade to strike Sonic down, the Emerald in Sonic's pocket suddenly started to glow. Sonic noticed this, a smirk gracing his face before he sped out of the way, seconds before the blade made contact. Arsenal freed his blade, looking at Sonic in surprise.

"Over here, blade-for-brains!" the hedgehog mocked, waving.

Arsenal turns towards him, growling in response. He tried swinging again, but Sonic sped around it again, this time dashing against his shoulder and tearing a piece of metal off in the process. He looked at his damaged shoulder in shock.

"What?!" he shouted. "Impossible!"

"Guess you're not as tough as you thought!" Sonic taunted.

Sonic then sped back towards him, running around him and dashing back and forth, each time tearing off a piece of metal from his body. Arsenal kept slashing, but every time, he missed. Finally, Sonic jumped into the air, curled into a ball, and came down with full force. Arsenal drew up his blades in defense, but Sonic's spines tore right through the blade before slicing through Arsenal's body vertically. He stood there in silent shock, realizing the end had come for him.

"Unbelievable…" he let out in a resigned voice.

With that, he began to spark before his two halves split apart, falling to the ground and exploding. Sonic came to a stop, clapping his hands together before thumbing his nose.*

"Game over." he boasted.

Soon after, he turned to see Omni, who had vanished before the fight began.

"Did you see that?" Sonic bragged. "I annihilated him!"

"Yes, good work. But I have some bad news."

Sonic tilted his head quizzically. "What?"

Omni's screen changed to reveal a new image. Sonic gasped in shock to see Robotnik alongside several Swatbots menacing Castle Acorn.

"No…" he let out. "He's at Mobotropolis?!"

"Yes," said Omni. "He believes King Max's resources can help him track the Emeralds."

"I gotta get there now." Sonic insisted. "If he hurts Sally, I'll-"

"Calm down, Sonic. I can aid you in that regard as well."

Sonic composed himself. "How?"

"My screen isn't just limited to transporting you to the challenges." Omni explained. "I can send anyone anywhere in the Special Zone or Mobius."

"Then let's get going." Sonic insisted.

Omni shifted his screen back to the image of Mobotropolis, and Sonic took a few steps back before jumping in.

"Watch out, Robotnik!" he vowed as he leapt through the portal. "I'm comin' at ya full speed!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

There we have it. Sonic got the first Chaos Emerald, beat Arsenal, and is now going to chase Robotnik out of Mobotropolis. Will he succeed?

The Omni-Viewer is a main character in Fleetway's _Sonic the Comic,_ though there, it's never revealed how he and Sonic met. I changed that here.

The Chaos Emerald situation is based on challenges devised by Feist, ruler of the Special Zone in the pre-Super Genesis Wave Archie comics; he devised them to prevent anyone unworthy from getting the Chaos Emeralds, and for his own amusement.

As for Sonic being powered up by one Chaos Emerald, that was based on the _Sonic X_ episode "Beating Eggman Part 2"; that episode had Sonic using two Emeralds for a power boost against a robot.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Omni - LaMonica Garrett (Monitor from the Arrowverse, Sergeant Griggs from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare)

Please R&R. Until next time!


	7. Royal Ruckus

**\- Chapter 6 -**

 **Royal Ruckus**

* * *

Within the throne room of Castle Acorn, King Max and Queen Alicia were hashing things out with Sally, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

"I don't know what's become of Julian, but we can't be a part of this madness," Max insisted.

"So what can be done to stop him?" Alicia questioned.

Weighing their options, Max went to the throne, pressing a button that caused the throne to slide away and reveal a secret passage.

"Max?" Alicia asked.

"This passage was built in case of an emergency, during the time of the Great War," Max explained, turning to Sally. "Get in, and flee."

"What?" Sally demanded. "You expect me to leave you to the mercy of that lunatic?!"

"We're the ones Julian wants," Max insisted. "At least this way, you'll be safe."

"I won't leave you, Dad!" Sally said adamantly.

"I'm not giving you a choice."

There was pounding on the castle walls, shaking the building. In desperation, Max shoved Sally into the passage, sealing it.

"Dad!" Sally shrieked, pounding on the door and trying in vain to open it. "Don't do this!"

Max and Alicia slowly turned to face the music as the door was kicked in. A slew of Swatbots poured in, flanking Robotnik as he walked forward. He looked between them.

"So, the princess isn't here." He shrugged. "No matter. I'll find her soon enough.

In the meantime, King Max, you have a public appearance to make."

* * *

Outside the castle, a crowd had been assembled, held at gunpoint by several Badniks as Robotnik and Max exited.

"King Maximilian Acorn no longer rules Mobotropolis, or the Kingdom of Acorn!" Robotnik declared. "I, the great Dr. Ivo Robotnik, am your new ruler!"

He was immediately greeted by a series of boos from the crowd.

"Tough crowd. No matter. As they say, it's better to be feared than loved." He rose to his full height. "You've seen my might! My army of Badniks! You Mobians were made to be ruled by humans like me, and in the end, you will always kneel!"

A moment of silence followed before an older Mobian wolf slowly got to his feet.

"Not to men like you," he insisted.

Robotnik laughed mockingly. "There are no men like me."

"There are _always_ men like you," the wolf shot back defiantly.

Robotnik shook his head at that before turning back to the crowd.

"Let this old mutt serve as an example. Those who defy me will die!"

Several Swatbots took aim at him, preparing to fire when a massive gust of wind suddenly whipped up around them. A blue blur darted around, smashing several Swatbots before coming to a stop before Robotnik, revealing it to be Sonic.

"You again?!" Robotnik shouted.

"Sorry I'm late," Sonic replied. "Had to deal with your pals."

The crowd burst into murmurs at the sight of Sonic, while Robotnik gritted his teeth in anger.

"You have an annoying habit of turning up where you're not welcome."

"And you have a habit of stomping on innocent people," Sonic shot back. "So consider this an intervention."

"I'd rather consider it a funeral." Robotnik retorted. "Swatbots, attack!"

The Swatbots immediately began firing on Sonic, who quickly started darting around, dodging every attack as the crowd ran for cover. He swerved around before tucking into a Spin Dash and shredding one Swatbot to pieces. As this was going on, Robotnik slipped away.

Eventually, only one Swatbot was left standing, but before Sonic could do anything, a blue energy blade slashes through it, cleaving it diagonally in two. As the two halves split apart, Sonic blinked in surprise to see Sally standing there, a solid, holographic double-edged energy blade extending from the bracelet around her wrist.

"Room for one more?" she quipped.

"Sally?" Sonic demanded. "What are you doing here?! It's not safe!"

"You honestly think that's gonna stop me?" Sally questioned. "You should know me better than that, Sonic."

Before the conversation could continue, Sonic looked around, noticing something was missing.

"Hey... where'd Robotnik go?" he pondered. "Did I scare him off already?"

"Somehow, I don't think it's gonna be that easy," Sally insisted.

Sure enough, a loud whirring sound reached their ears, and they whirled around to see a massive robot around three meters tall stomp into view. The Egg Mobile was linked into the center of the mech, Robotnik piloting it.

"I calculated the probability my Swatbots would only slow you down, Sonic," the doctor boasted. "So I came prepared. Meet the Egg Walker!"

"Oooh, scary," Sonic deadpanned. "I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight."

"Joke all you want. I was hoping to run a few more tests before deployment, but you forced my hand."

With that, he fired several missiles. Sonic immediately scooped up Sally, running out of the way and fleeing behind a building.

"Watch out for that Volkan Cannon!" Sally yelled. "It'll pulverize you!"

"Oh really, Sal?" Sonic said sarcastically. "I thought I'd just stand and let him shoot me. Thought that'd be a good idea."

"That's right, Sonic! Run away!" Robotnik shouted. "It's about time you realized my superiority!"

"The only thing I realized is that you love to hear yourself talk!" Sonic shot back.

He quickly turned around, dashing towards the Egg Walker as one of the missiles continued to follow him. Sonic then leapt over one of the walkers legs, causing the missile to hit it. The Walker's leg buckled briefly, but that was about it.

"This ends here, Sonic!" Robotnik ranted. "I will destroy you and purge this planet of all who oppose me, Mobian and human alike! Mobius will bow to my power, and the glorious era of the Robotnik Empire will soon begin!"

Sonic just stood there, making loud snoring noises.

"Oh, sorry. What was that?" he asked. "I nodded off while you were listening to the sound of your own preaching."

"The world will truly miss your razor-sharp wit. Goodbye, Sonic."

He aimed at him with the Volkan Cannon again, and Sonic quickly darted around before reconvening with Sally.

"Sal, you were always the smart one, the tactics girl. Any bright ideas?"

Sally carefully peeked out from her hiding place, looking over the Egg Walker.

"My best guess is the cockpit of the mech is the weak point."

"Okay, so aim for Robotnik's ugly mug. Seems simple enough."

Sonic then leapt back out and ran towards the Walker, swerving around the Volkan Cannon's fire as he did so. He vaulted off a missile as he charged, tucking into a ball before launching himself at the cockpit, slamming into it and knocking the Walker off-balance. Robotnik shouted in pain before scowling at him.

"Why, you little-!" he shouted.

"What's the matter, Robuttnik?" Sonic taunted. "Did I break your toy?"

"RAAGGHHHH!" Robotnik slammed his fists onto the controls in a rage. "You're way too stupid to realize what you're getting yourself into, hedgehog! This time, you've done it!"

While Robotnik was distracted fighting Sonic, Sally was sneaking up behind the mech, her Ring-Blades at the ready. As soon as she was close enough, Sally leapt forward with a cry, slashing through one of the Walker's legs. The Walker began to stagger, swaying back and forth.

"What?!" Robotnik screamed.

"Now, Sonic!" Sally shouted. "Let him have it!"

Sonic began revving in place before launching forward with a Spin Dash, slamming into the cockpit and knocking the Walker on his back.

"Timber!" he shouted as the Walker impacted the ground, the Egg Mobile shooting out before it blew. Robotnik glared down at him, incensed.

"You've interfered with my plans for the last time, Sonic!" he ranted as he flew away. "You haven't seen the last of me!"

"Oh, sure," Sonic said flippantly. "They _say_ they'll call…"

"Sonic!" Sally shouted suddenly.

He turned, just in time to get a hug from her.

"You saved us…" she said softly. "Thank you…"

After a few minutes, Sonic slowly returned the hug.

* * *

In the throne room, Sonic knelt before Max and Alicia.

"You truly are your father's son," Max said respectfully. "And Sir Charles' nephew."

"Thank you, sir. And I promise, I'm gonna make sure Robotnik's reign of evil is put to an end. No matter what it takes." He looked out the window. "Now, I just gotta figure out where he's going next."

"Judging by the direction he was going when he split, I'd say the best bet is the Labyrinth Zone," Sally offered.

At the mere mention of the Labyrinth Zone, Sonic's quills drooped.

"The Labyrinth Zone?" he asked. "The ancient city in the Mystic Jungle caves that's almost completely flooded? _That_ Labyrinth Zone?"

"No, I mean the other Labyrinth Zone," Sally replied, totally deadpan. "Of course I mean that one!"

Sonic took a breath before sprouting his trademark smirk.

"Well…" he began, "an adventure's no fun if it's too easy."

"Good luck, Sonic," Sally said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, who needs luck when you've got skills like mine?" Sonic bragged.

He flexed his muscles in a macho style before departing, but his bravado faded once he was out of view.

"Water…" he muttered to himself. "Why did it have to be water?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Another one down. And yeah, I know these chapters are really short, but the Sonic games and levels aren't the easiest to novelize.

The Egg Walker here is the first incarnation of the Egg Walker in general; it's derived from the Riddler's mech suit from _Batman: Arkham Knight_.

Next time, Sonic heads to the Labyrinth Zone in pursuit of Robotnik. Will he be able to conquer his fear of water, or will Mobius' hopes go down the drain?

Please R&R. Until next time!


	8. Aquaphobia

**\- Chapter 7 -**

 **Aquaphobia**

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

The pieces of scrapped robots and the Egg Walker were being cleaned up as a dark blue hover car rode into Mobotropolis, headed for the castle. It stopped before it, and out stepped Uncle Chuck, who surveyed the carnage. Sally was the first to notice him.

"Oh, Sir Charles," she greeted. "What brings you here?"

"I heard that Julian had attacked and wanted to see if everything was alright," Uncle Chuck explained, looking down. "It _is_ partially my fault that he was corrupted by the ROCC."

"You can't blame yourself for that. From what we've heard, it was a freak accident."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel responsible," Uncle Chuck replied before observing the carnage. "What happened here?"

"You should've seen it," Sally remarked, smiling. "Sonic came here and turned these robots into scrap metal. It was amazing."

Uncle Chuck blinked in surprise. "Sonic did all this?"

"Sure did."

Uncle Chuck smiled at that in pride.

"He's a fighter just like his old man. Where is he now?"

"Chasing after Robotnik. Last we checked, they were headed for the Labyrinth Zone."

Uncle Chuck's face dropped at that.

"The Labyrinth Zone? That could be a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Sonic is afraid of water. It all started when he was six. I took him with me while researching the Lake of Rings in the Great Forest, and he fell in."

"Oh… Well, that explains why he was so nervous when he found out where Robotnik was headed."

"I've done everything I could to try to help him conquer the fear. I took him out for swimming lessons, but he just couldn't kick it completely."

"He should be fine, though… right?"

"He can swim, yes. He's just not crazy about water. It's up to him how he'll handle it."

* * *

 **Labyrinth Zone**

Meanwhile, Sonic had arrived at an underground passageway built into South Island's mountain range. He looked down into it cautiously before slowly descending and looking around.

"Well, here I am," he said aloud. "The Labyrinth Zone. Attractions include water... rocks... water... creepy gargoyles… Did I mention water?"

The Labyrinth Zone was an ancient maze-like ruin, one of the many decaying remnants of the Ancients that once ruled Mobius hundreds of years ago. Some time after they had died out, the ruins had ended up flooded and partially submerged. Considering Sonic's aquaphobia, the flooding was not a good thing. As he went along, walking through the paths, Sonic was doing his best to keep his cool.

"I'm totally fine. No prob. Not itching all over or freaking out, not me…"

He started unconsciously scratching his chest, before he took another step and just barely managed to avoid plunging right into a flooded part of the maze. He gasped, scrambling back in fear before facepalming.

"C'mon Sonic, get ahold of yourself! It's just a maze filled with water. Nothing I can't handle. And Uncle Chuck always said that old ruins like these are full of air pockets. I'll be fine."

He looked solemnly over the surface of the water, psyching himself up for a few moments before deciding to just get it over with and dive in. After a moment of fear, he began swimming through the submerged tunnel as fast as his legs could carry him.

" _It's not so bad_ ," he kept thinking to himself. " _It's not so bad. It's not so bad._ "

Out of the blue, the current suddenly picked up, pulling him back. Sonic was helpless as he was thrown around by the deluge and flushed back out. He scrambled back to shore, gasping and coughing.

"It's bad!" he screamed. "It's bad!"

He sat there, soaking wet and shaking before punching the wall in frustration.

"Damn it! How am I gonna save everyone from Robotnik when I can't handle a bunch of water?!"

After a moment of thought, Sonic had an idea. He tucked into a ball and revved up before launching into a Spin Dash, taking off with enough momentum to push past the current (1). Eventually, he burst out into an air pocket, taking in oxygen before taking in his surroundings. The chamber he was in was quite impressive, the walls covered with mysterious images and crystal formations supplying enough light for him to make everything out.

"Nice place the Ancients whipped up. If it wasn't for the water, I'd drop by more often."

He looked around for a bit, taking in his surroundings before something suddenly shot out of the wall behind him. Sonic ducked just as an old-fashioned spear sprang out, impaling the wall where his head had been mere seconds before. He looked up at the spear as it retracted into the wall.

"Okay, so this creepy old place is flooded _and_ filled with booby traps. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse." At that moment, the ground began shaking before several iron drills erupted from the ground. Sonic sighed. "I just _had_ to open my mouth."

From the ground exploded three mole-like robots with blue bodies consisting of a round torso and large heads with round black eyes, gray disks for ear pieces and large gray cone-shaped drill bits for noses. On their heads were yellow hard hats. Their chest was gray, their shoulders were yellow and round, and their two arms were gray with three sharp fingers on each hand. As legs, they had tracked wheels on each side, which ran between two wheels.

"Hedgehog, Priority One," they recited.

Sonic backflipped out of the way as they charged, bouncing off one Badnik's head before splitting another's in half with a downward axe kick and Spin Dashing through the third. Within moments, the Badniks were scrap, the Mobini (2) within rapidly dashing away.

"Now that's just sad," Sonic remarked. "The least these bots could do is give me a challenge."

He continued on, and as he came out into a larger chamber, he soon spotted the Egg Mobile ahead.

"Robotnik!"

The doctor perked up at the sound of his voice, slowly turning to face him.

"Well well, if it isn't my least favorite rodent. I can't tell if you're very persistent, or just too stupid to quit."

"Try determined. To bring you down, that is."

The two stared silently at one another for a few moments before Robotnik gunned the Egg Mobile's engines and began taking off down the tunnels.

"Hey!" Sonic shouted before giving chase.

Robotnik led Sonic on a high-speed chase through the ruins. Eventually, they came out on another chamber, consisting of a high-up platform over a partially flooded chamber with a circle of eight pillars.

"It's over, Robotnik! Nowhere left for you to run!"

Robotnik just smirked. "Who said anything about running?"

He pulled out a laser gun from the side of the seat, aiming and firing. Sonic dodged the shot with ease.

"Ha! You missed!"

"Maybe I did… or maybe I didn't."

Sonic blinked in confusion before a crumbling sound reached his ears. He looked down to see the floor under his feet cracking and crumbling, originating from the burn mark left by Robotnik's laser.

"Oh, sh-" was all Sonic managed to say before the floor gave out under his feet, and he was sent plunging into the lower chamber, luckily landing on one of the pillars and out of the water. As he got his bearings and stood up, Robotnik floated down in the Egg Mobile.

"I tried to warn you, Sonic. I gave you the opportunity to end this and walk away. But you just _had_ to be a hero."

"Hey, someone had to do it."

"Well, this is where your heroic journey ends. My little pet down here wants to spend some time with you. Quality snack time, that is."

Sonic looked down into the water, seeing a massive white fin cut through the water before a giant red piranha Badnik lunged out with a mighty roar.

"Whoa," Sonic let out. "Someone's been taking his vitamins."

"Joke while you can, Sonic, because my Giant Chopper will make sure you don't leave the Labyrinth Zone alive!"

With that, he departed, laughing maniacally.

"So… trapped in an underground tunnel that's flooded with a giant metal piranha," Sonic recapped before doing stretches as the Giant Chopper ominously swam around the pillars, a smirk on his face. "Now we're talkin'."

With that, he leapt off the pillar and spun toward the Chopper, colliding with one of its eyes before rapidly swimming back to the pillar. The Chopper leapt out of the water after him, jaws open and teeth snapping. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as Sonic darted to another pillar just as the piranha's jaws clamped down, taking a good portion of the pillar he was just standing off.

"Talk about an overbite."

The next few moments of the battle had Sonic resorting to hit-and-run tactics, landing blows where he could and dodging the Chopper's lunges. However, the Chopper also blasted through several of the pillars, leaving Sonic with less and less room. As he landed on one of the few remaining pillars, Sonic wracked his brain for ideas before remembering the Chaos Emerald in his pocket.

"Let's see if this'll work twice." he muttered.

He took the Chaos Emerald out, focusing with all his might as the Chopper was readying for another strike. Soon, his efforts bore fruit, and the Emerald began to glow as Sonic was bathed in its power. He smirked before charging up a Spin Dash as the Chopper lunged at him, mouth wide open.

"I hope you're hungry!" he declared before shooting off right into the Chopper's gaping maw.

Sonic spun around rapidly in the monster's mouth, causing some major damage. Soon, he spun down into its innards, straight through before exploding out of its tail. The gutted Chopper sparked before hoisting the white flag and powering down, sinking into the depths to rust.

"Hope Robotnik kept the receipt."

As he began to paddle away, he caught a glimpse of something gold under the water. His curiosity peaked, Sonic dove down, pushing aside some brickwork before finding another Giant Ring. Knowing what that meant, he entered the ring…

* * *

 **Special Zone**

The Omni-Viewer was hovering casually on the same checkerboard planet when a Giant Ring appeared, spitting Sonic out.

"Back so soon?" Omni asked.

"Yep," Sonic confirmed. "Found another Giant Ring. How many of these things are there?"

"Countless, but enough about that. I assume you're here for the next Chaos Emerald challenge?"

Sonic nodded. "What do I gotta do?"

Omni's screen flickered, showing a large course of magma, steel, and cloud, a rickety-looking wooden bridge extending across it.

"The Obstacle Course. You must make your way across the bridge, avoiding anything in your way and taking care not to meet a fiery fate. As before, you have sixty seconds to complete the challenge. Should you fail, the Chaos Emerald will be lost to you."

"Is this one of those things where it looks easy but is a lot harder?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good. For a second I thought I was gonna be bored halfway through." Sonic cracked his knuckles before getting into a sprinting position. "Tell me when."

"Just jump into my screen, and you'll be sent there automatically."

Sonic promptly did so, and in a blur of motion, soon found himself on the bridge, right over a boiling lake of lava as several spiked mines float almost lazily back and forth before him. He shrugged.

"Well, at least it's not water," he remarked.

With that, he instantly took off, dodging around the mines every step of the way and going through several loop-de-loops. It was tough slaying, but eventually he managed to get to the end of the course and snag the red Chaos Emerald with mere seconds to spare.

"Too easy!" he boasted. "Piece of cake!"

 **-X-**

He was suddenly transported back to Omni, who grinned at him.

"Two down, five to go. Not bad."

"Sweet!" Sonic cheered. "I'll have them all in no time."

"Let's hope so. Now, for your next destination."

The image on his screen changed to that of a snowy mountain in the northern part of South Island.

"So Robotnik's spread as far as the Frozen Zone. Can't say I'm surprised."

"He's causing trouble up there, and it's on the way to his base in the Scrap Brain Zone," Omni informed him.

Sonic sighed. "On my way to the Zone of perpetual winter. Should've brought my thermal underwear."

Nonetheless, he jumped into Omni's screen.

* * *

 **Robotnik's Lab, Scrap Brain Zone**

Within his lab, Robotnik was tirelessly at work on his latest invention.

"Knowing my luck, Sonic has most likely taken down the Giant Chopper. He'll be knocking at my door before long, and I don't have any of the Chaos Emeralds." He held up the completed gadget, an emerald-shaped homing beacon. "But with the Chaos Resonator, they'll come to me."

He pressed the button, and the beacon began flashing, turning a dull green as Robotnik smirked.

"I've worked too hard and come too far to let some little blue spikeball stop me and my plans. If you want a battle, Sonic... I'm gonna give you a war."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

(1): Taken from the _Sonic Colors_ mechanic that let you jump indefinitely underwater.

(2): The term for non-anthropomorphic animals in the Archie comic.

Before people come after me with torches and pitchforks because Sonic can swim, this is a more pragmatic adaptation of the series, and his aquaphobia is still intact. Besides, he's been shown swimming in non-game media like _SatAM, AoSTH_ , and Archie's _Sonic X_ series, so it works out.

Next chapter, Sonic ascends the glacier of the Frozen Zone to stop Robotnik's operations up there. Will he succeed, or become a snowhog?

Please R&R. Until next time!


	9. Tundra of Terror

**\- Chapter 8 -**

 **Tundra of Terror**

* * *

Sonic was struggling against the wind, trying to run through the icy tundras of the Frozen Zone.

"Should've asked Omni to send me home first," he muttered. "This is _not_ a place to go without flannel PJs."

He shook his head. "Okay, gotta focus. If I were an evil scientist bent on world domination in the middle of a frozen tundra, where would I be?"

It wasn't long before he heard fearful screaming and what sounded like lasers blasting.

"Experience has taught me that where there's blaster fire, there's trouble." Sonic remarked before running in the direction he heard it from.

 **-X-**

He soon found himself in a village dotted with igloos, people in parkas being tormented by Swatbots aiming their lasers at the people. An older man, clearly the village elder, stood before one of them, a modified bot with a green torso, kneeling with his hands clasped in a begging position.

"Please!" the man pleaded. "Leave us alone! Have mercy!"

The Swatbot just shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of cruel amusement. "I'm afraid that my programming has left me cold to your pleas of mercy."

He aimed an arm cannon at the elder, firing a blue beam that froze him solid. Sonic came to a stop on a nearby cliff, seeing the destruction the Badniks were causing.

"You were warned to bow down to Dr. Robotnik's demands!" the Swatbot ranted. "And since you won't, this is the price!"

"No!" Sonic shouted before jumping down and running.

He charged at the Swatbot, rolling into a Spin Dash before knocking him down.

"I heard of robots being cold and heartless, but you take the cake!"

"Of course the hedgehog would come sticking his spines into your business up here," the Swatbot leader spat, more annoyed than surprised.

"You hurt innocent people, I _make_ it my business!" Sonic shot back.

The Swatbot squad all aimed their guns at Sonic, who just rolled his eyes.

"I've been busting you bots up all day," he deadpanned. "You really think you can stop me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," the leader admitted. "But six meters of solid ice definitely will."

They fired at Sonic, who sped out of the way of the ice. A fight ensued and Sonic managed to smash through several of them. Eventually, the leader decided to cut his losses and make a break for it. Sonic was about to chase him, before the leader turned to face him.

"Let's see how cold you can be, hedgehog," he mocked. "You don't have much time left to thaw the Elder. So, what will you do…? Chase the villain, or save the old man?"

Sonic looked at the robot, then at the frozen elder. With a growl, he sped back to the elder, rubbing his hands together on the ice as fast as he could.

"Just as I thought," the robot gloated before fleeing, leaving Sonic to focus on his work.

"Okay, friction makes heat," he muttered to himself. "Super-speed makes super-friction.

That means…"

The ice slowly thawed, the man collapsing.

"Yes!" Sonic cheered. "Uncle Chuck's boring science lectures finally pay off!"

He held the elder up. "C'mon, let's get you inside."

 **-X-**

Sonic led the elder into his house, setting him near the fire.

"You okay?" he asked him.

"I'm damned cold," the elder remarked. "But I'll survive."

"Sorry I wasn't fast enough to stop it. Ice is tricky to run on."

The elder waved a hand, dismissing it. "The important thing is you came."

"What exactly happened here?"

The elder's expression soured.

"That crazy human calling himself Dr. Robotnik happened. He was searching for something in the North Cave, and threatened us all with those ice gun wielding robots to help him look."

"North Cave…" Sonic muttered to himself.

"The doctor has most of the villagers there mining away for whatever he's after," the elder went on.

Immediately, Sonic frowned.

"He shouldn't have brought innocent people into this," he clenched his fist. "That just makes me _mad_ …"

He turned toward the door, but stopped before opening it. He turned back to the elder with a somewhat hopeful look.

"Do you have a map to the North Cave?"

"I do." The elder stood up, going over to a chest to find it. "However, I must warn you. It gets colder as you go up. Try not to freeze."

"I'll try." Sonic replied. "But if you have a coat of a scarf you're willing to lend me, I won't say no."

 **-X-**

It wasn't long before Sonic was back on the move, now wearing a blue and orange bubble jacket (1) to try to ward off the cold. He made his way up the mountain, and it wasn't long before he came across an ominous-looking cave on the side. The sounds of robotic whirring and pickaxes clacking reached his ears from within.

"If this isn't the place, I'll eat my sneakers." he said to himself.

He slipped inside, keeping to the walls as he crept deeper and deeper into the cave. It wasn't long before he came out over a massive mine-like area, seeing several of the villagers digging away with pickaxes and shovels while Swatbots and Troopers stood watch over them, weapons at the ready. One cracked a red energy whip threateningly.

"Faster!" he shouted.

The unfortunate villager whimpered, then tried to hurry up. Sonic seethed with rage at the sight, while off to the side, the Swatbot leader Sonic fought off just watched. One of his subordinates stood next to him.

"Report," the leader ordered.

"So far, nothing," said the subordinate. "Is the doctor sure there's a Chaos Emerald somewhere around here?"

"It's not our place to question the doctor," the leader shot back. "If he says there's an Emerald here, there's an Emerald here."

Off to the side, a child was working. Unfortunately, the child began to waver from exhaustion, and soon, she collapsed altogether. The whip-wielding Swatbot immediately stormed over, raising his weapon.

"Get back to work!" he roared. "Stop lazing around!"

The child's mother quickly ran over, hugging the girl.

"Can't you see she's exhausted?" she pleaded. "She's just a child!"

"Oh, you want some too?!" the Swatbot raised his whip, preparing to bring it down, only to find it suddenly gone from his hand.

"HEY!"

The bot turned, seeing Sonic there, whip in hand.

"Why don't you pick on someone who can actually fight back?!" the hedgehog spat.

The Swatbot recoiled. "The hedgehog?!"

He slammed his hand on a button on his wrist, and a Klaxon sounded as the Swatbots and Troopers all dropped what they were doing, droning the words "Hedgehog, Priority One" as they turned to face Sonic.

"Well, glad to know I left such an impression," Sonic deadpanned before curling into a ball and Spin Dashing at them.

He smashed several of them apart, but just as he uncurled, an ice beam fired, freezing his feet solid. The leader lowered his freeze ray.

"You may have the fastest feet on Mobius," he gloated, "but now... you're just a normal hedgehog."

He began to circle the prone Sonic as he went on.

"So Robuttnik thinks there's a Chaos Emerald in this cave, eh?" Sonic questioned.

"He doesn't think, he knows. Using the research left over from the ROCC incident, he's whipped up a little something that can reliably track them down."

That got Sonic's attention.

"The Chaos Resonator," the bot went on. "It emits an artificial Chaos energy signature that'll help us track the Emeralds, and serve as a homing beacon. With their power, the doctor will take over this planet. And once I deliver your frozen carcass to him, I'll be his new commander."

Sonic took in his words before chuckling.

"And what, pray tell, is so damn funny?" the leader demanded.

"You villains are all alike. You're in love with the sound of your own voice. You strut around smirking like a two-year-old who's just finished potty training. You can't resist laying out every detail of your descent into evil and your big, bad plan... and you get so into it you don't even realize that I've been vibrating my feet to weaken the ice the entire time you've been shooting your mouth off."

The Swatbot perked in shock just as the ice around Sonic's feet broke apart. He launched himself at the bot, letting out a yell before putting his fist clean through his chest. The bot sputtered and sparked, losing power and falling over with a hard thud, and the captives cheered, throwing aside their pickaxes and departing, many of them thanking Sonic directly before doing so. This left Sonic to explore the cave on his own.

Seeing a glint of gold behind a wall that had been chipped away, Sonic dealt a hard kick, knocking it down to reveal another Giant Ring.

"Will you look at that?" he noted. "Must be my lucky day."

Before he could enter the ring, however, it began glowing and spinning in place rapidly. Sonic blinked in surprise before the blue Chaos Emerald came flying out of the ring and zipped past him. Sonic hurried after it, only to find Robotnik, the Chaos Resonator in one hand and the Emerald in the other.

"Ah, Sonic," he greeted casually. "Your timing is inconvenient as always."

"You!"

Sonic immediately began running at Robotnik. The doctor, however, jumped back and off the cliff. Sonic skidded to a stop, looking down to see him slowly floating up in the Egg Mobile.

"Another day, hedgehog!" he gloated before flying away, Sonic glaring after him all the while.

"No!" he cursed. "Damn it!"

He punched the ice, dropping to his knees. After a minute or two, he slowly rose back up, clenching his fists in determination.

"You won this round, Robotnik," he spat. "But the game's not over yet."

* * *

 **Scrap Brain Zone**

Robotnik sat before a capsule containing the other four Chaos Emeralds, placing the one he retrieved inside.

"The Resonator couldn't attract the last two," he mused, stroking his mustache. "Which means Sonic must have beat me to them."

A grin spread across his face. "And that suits me just fine. That little blue delivery boy will make his way here eventually. And when he does, I'll be ready for him."

The doctor threw his head back, laughing maniacally at the thought of prying the Emeralds from Sonic's hands at his final defeat.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

(1): Based on one of the unlockable costumes from _Sonic Forces_.

Oh, no! Robotnik's already got the other five Emeralds? This is bad…

Anyway, the Frozen Zone is taken from _Sonic the Comic_ ; Sonic stored the Chaos Emeralds there after the first time he fought Robotnik. North Cave, however, was mentioned in the Master System version of _Sonic Chaos_.

And to Void Reader, the Freedom Fighters will be formed at the end of this arc. This is an adaptation of the first game, where Sonic fought Robotnik on his own.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	10. Star Light, Star Bright

**\- Chapter 10 -**

 **Star Light, Star Bright**

* * *

 **Mobotropolis, Royal Hills Zone**

In a quaint little house near the center of town, Uncle Chuck sat down with Sonic's parents, Jules and Bernie Hedgehog, to coffee, as well as to explain his next course of action. Unsurprisingly, Jules was less than pleased to hear his intent.

"You can't be serious, Chuck," Jules let out. "You're going to the Scrap Brain Zone alone?"

"I have to," Uncle Chuck insisted. "It's the only way."

"It's a suicide mission!" Bernie exclaimed. "If you go, there's no guarantee you'll come back!"

"If there's even the slightest chance that Julian can be redeemed-"

"You saw what he did at Castle Acorn," Jules cut in. "I'm sorry, Chuck, but Julian is gone for good."

"I have to at least try," Uncle Chuck said firmly. "Even if it's in vain, I have to hope Julian's still in there."

"Chuck, please," Bernie pleaded. "If not for us, then for Sonic."

Uncle Chuck sighed. "Jules, Bernie... it's not just that. I examined the scrap of the Swatbots and Badniks Sonic smashed before I came here. The designs, the schematics, they're all very close to... it."

Both hedgehogs went pale at that.

"No…" Jules managed. "No, that's impossible."

"I'm afraid so," Uncle Chuck confirmed. "I need to get to Julian before Sonic does. He'll be in way over his head if my theory's true."

"Let us come with you," Jules insisted.

"Jules is right," Bernie added. "You can't do this alone."

"No, Bernie," Uncle Chuck shook his head. "If the worst comes to pass, Sonic will need you two more than ever."

Jules sighed. "Is there really nothing we can do to change your mind?"

"No…" Uncle Chuck got to his feet. "If I don't return, tell Sonic… tell him to never stop running."

Giving in, Jules rose to his feet. He and Uncle Chuck grasped forearms and shook before embracing, patting each other's back.

"I love you, brother," Jules let out softly.

"And I you," Uncle Chuck replied.

With that, he took his leave. "Just one last thing to do…"

* * *

 **Star Light Zone**

Meanwhile, Sonic had exited the Frozen Zone and stood on the outskirts of the Star Light Zone, another human settlement on South Island that had been left derelict and abandoned after the Great War. It had fared better than the Scrap Brain Zone, but not by much; in recent years, it had become little more than a den of criminals and thugs that most other Mobians and humans made a point to avoid (1).

"The Star Light Zone," Sonic muttered. "Of course I gotta make my way through this rat-hole town to get to Robuttnik."

As he went in, he stole a glance at the starry night sky above him.

"Still, I can't ignore that view. Wish Mobotropolis had such a good view of the stars at night."

Soon, however, Sonic's attention was caught by the sight of several egg-shaped humanoid Badniks, floating around and keeping a close eye on the various gangs running around the Zone.

"Well, that's ominous," he said flatly.

He quickly moved into a nearby alley as a few Eggrobos were conversing with one of the gangs. The leader, a Mobian rat, glared at the head Eggrobo.

"You really think we're just gonna take this lying down?" he spat. "I own this town, you hunk of tin!"

"Really?" the Eggrobo questioned, Robotnik's voice coming from its mouth. "You're nothing but a lowlife gangster, Nez. You fail to realize that the balance of power on South Island is shifting... to me."

Nez just scoffed at that.

"I helped bring order and law to this lawless Zone," Robotnik went on. "I don't have to remind you of the penalty for defying me, do I?"

Almost immediately, the smirk vanished from Nez's face, and several of his men recoiled.

"Nuh-uh!" one goon shouted. "Not after what happened to Gary! Do whatever you want! Order me around, even kill me! Just don't put me in the Roboticizer!"

The last part got Sonic's attention as Robotnik chuckled. "Now I think we understand each other. Obey me and follow my orders, and everything will be just dandy."

"Alright, fine," Nez grumbled. "So how can I be of service?"

"It's simple," the Eggrobo projected a hologram of Sonic. "This hedgehog has caused me more than enough grief as of late. I don't care how you do it or how long it takes, but you are to capture him and bring him to me dead or alive. Preferably dead."

Sonic immediately ducked back into the shadows at that.

"Okay, so Robotnik's basically got every crook in this Zone after me," he muttered. "And here, I was thinking this day couldn't get any worse. Still, if they wanna hurt me, they gotta catch me."

He sped off at that. Sadly, Nez's gang heard the rush of air as he dashed away, and turned toward the sound, the Eggrobo following suit.

"Well…" Robotnik mused, "it seems Sonic has arrived, right on schedule."

"We'll catch him," Nez assured. "I promise."

 **-X-**

It wasn't long before Sonic stopped short, seeing a spotlight shining on him from above courtesy of an Eggrobo.

"Damn!" the hedgehog cursed.

"Stay right where you are, Sonic!" the Badnik shouted. "You're outnumbered and outgunned!"

"Oh, yeah," Sonic snarked. "I came all this way so I could just stand around and get shot at."

The Eggrobo suddenly began emitting a loud Klaxon siren, and soon multiple thugs began gathering. Looking left and right, Sonic quickly ducked into a nearby bar. Inside, a crocodile, a chameleon, and a child sized bee were talking to the bartender about something when Sonic came bursting in. They all turned in surprise to see him standing there.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here, kid?" the crocodile asked.

"Could say the same for your buddy there," Sonic said flatly, looking at the bee. "Besides, I won't be here long."

"And why is that?" the chameleon questioned.

As if on cue, the Eggrobo and thugs started pouring in.

"That's why," Sonic said.

"Just give in and come with us, Sonic," Nez ordered. "No need for this to get bloody."

"If you think I'm gonna go down without a fight, you're crazy," Sonic promptly snatched up a pool cue. "You wanna get nuts? C'mon! Let's get nuts!"

"Don't take it personally, kid." Nez told him. "We're just doing what we have to to survive."

A bar brawl soon ensued, but the thugs were woefully outmatched. Sonic sped around the thugs, defeating them in humiliating ways until they were all down (2). After a minute, he turned, seeing the crocodile, chameleon, and bee all staring at him from the bar.

"What?" he dared. "You want a piece of me too?"

"Nah," the crocodile replied. "But if you ever need a job, look us up."

He handed him a card, which Sonic took and looked over.

"Chaotix Detective Agency?" he read.

"That's us," said the croc. "Now, I suggest you scram before more goons show up."

"Couldn't agree more,"

With that, Sonic sped off, but it wasn't long before more goons and Badniks were on his trail. Despite his best efforts, Sonic couldn't escape and was soon herded to the top of a tall building.

"It's over, Sonic!" Robotnik shouted through an Eggrobo. "There's nowhere for you to go. As fast as you are, even you can't fly!"

Sonic slowly backed toward the edge. "Maybe so, but I'll take my chances."

"What?" Robotnik questioned. "Do you plan to jump?"

"In a word: yes."

With that, Sonic leapt off. Closing his eyes in resignation, he fully expected to hit the ground. However, he heard a loud screech, then sharp talons grabbed him by the shoulders, stopping his fall. He opened his eyes in surprise to see a Mobian owl having a grip on him, gently lowering him to the ground.

"I would think you'd get less reckless once you hit puberty, Sonic," she mused. "But some things never change."

Sonic gaped in surprise at the sight of the owl. This was Longclaw, a veteran of the Great War alongside his uncle and father, and at one point, his childhood nanny.

"Longclaw?" he managed. "What are you doing here?"

Longclaw gave him a teasing smile. "Is that any way to greet your old nanny?"

Sonic turned red before giving her a quick hug.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. It's great to see you again, Longclaw. I just wasn't expecting to see you all the way out here."

"It's good to see you too, and to answer your question, I'm here at the behest of your uncle. He was worried about you and asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Uncle Chuck sent you?"

Longclaw nodded. "It seems you've managed to ruffle this Robotnik's feathers quite a bit."  
"Tell me about it. Every crook in this Zone was after me. He's got them cowed into total obedience with something called the Roboticizer."

That got Longclaw's attention.

"Impossible… Are you certain that's what you heard?"

"Positive. Do you know something about it?"

Longclaw quickly shook her head. "No. Nothing you need to worry about."

"Oookay…" Sonic managed after a minute.

"There are more pressing things to attend to right now. Charles has taken it upon himself to confront the doctor at the Scrap Brain Zone."

"What?!" Sonic exclaimed.

"He seems to believe he can get through to Robotnik. That Julian is still in there somewhere."

"Well, he's wrong. Dr. Kintobor died when the ROCC exploded, Longclaw. When we see Robotnik, we're not looking at the man he was. We're looking at the thing that killed him. He made that perfectly clear back in the Marble Zone."

"Maybe that's true, but Charles is determined to try."

"Then I have to stop him. Robotnik will kill him... or worse."

He immediately took off running, with Longclaw close behind.

* * *

 **Scrap Brain Zone**

Meanwhile, Uncle Chuck had just arrived at the Scrap Brain Zone. No sooner had he crossed the threshold than he was surrounded by Swatbots, which parted to reveal Robotnik.

"Charles!" he greeted cordially. "So good to see you. You like what I've done with the place?"

"Julian, listen to me," Uncle Chuck pleaded. "You have to stop this. This isn't you."

He held out his hands in entreaty. "You've worked your whole life to help people. Please... what happened to the good man you were?"

"The weakling? The loser?" Robotnik scoffed. "He died at the blast in Station Square University. He died… and I was reborn."

"I don't believe that!" Uncle Chuck exclaimed. "There has to be _some_ part of you that still remembers who you are!"

"Whether you believe it or not, it's true," Robotnik retorted. "Julian Kintobor doesn't exist anymore. Only Robotnik remains. Your nephew realized and accepted that, so why can't you?"

"Because I can't help but see my friend in you," Uncle Chuck replied. "Please, Julian. I'm begging you. Come back."

Robotnik's expression visibly softened for a few moments, before he brushed it off.

"Sorry, Charles, but life is full of disappointment."

He snapped his fingers and the Swatbots converged on Uncle Chuck.

"Julian, please," the old hedgehog begged. "End this madness. It's not too late."

"That's where you're wrong," Robotnik replied solemnly. "I've come too far and invested too much work in this already, so I'll forge on."

Uncle Chuck took in his words, closing his eyes in resignation.

"Then I guess you were right," he said at last. "Julian Kintobor really _is_ dead."

"And before long, you'll wish you joined him," Robotnik declared.

With that, Uncle Chuck was cuffed by the Swatbots, Robotnik leading them to his lab.

"Don't look so down, my friend," Robotnik said in fake kindness. "Sonic will be here soon, and we need to arrange a proper welcoming party."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

(1): Think like a Mobian Gotham City. Since barely anything exists on the origin and purpose of the Star Light Zone as it is, I decided to make my own interpretation of it.

(2): Yes, the bar fight from the live action movie.

The climax is approaching. Will Sonic be able to save Uncle Chuck from the wicked machinations of the evil Dr. Robotnik? Tune in next time to find out…

Longclaw is from the live action movie, and Jules and Bernie from the Archie comic. To explain why I decided to make Longclaw a Great War veteran like Jules and Uncle Chuck, she's noted in the official novelization of the movie to be descended from a noble line of warrior owls dedicated to maintaining balance for all living creatures. Her being Sonic's childhood nanny is a reference to how she raised him in the film.

Also, to Void Reader, you misunderstood what I said. It's only _this_ first arc that adapts the first game where Sonic flies solo. After he beats Robotnik next chapter, he'll start assembling the Freedom Fighters.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Jules - Tony Oliver (Sōjirō Izumi from _Lucky Star_ , Minato Namikaze from _Naruto_ , Lancer from _Fate/stay night_ )

* Bernie - Karen Strassman (Nanako Dojima and Aigis from the Persona series, Anna from Fire Emblem, Kallen Kouzuki/Stadtfeld from Code Geass)

* Longclaw - Megan Hollingshead (Scarlet Garcia from _Sonic X_ , Shizune from _Naruto_ , Villetta Nu from _Code Geass_ )

Please R&R. Until next time!


End file.
